tardy

1 of 2

adjective

tar·​dy ˈtär-dē How to pronounce tardy (audio)
tardier; tardiest
1
: moving slowly : sluggish
the tardy pace at which she was obliged to walkCharles Dickens
2
: delayed beyond the expected or proper time : late
a tardy arrival

tardy

2 of 2

noun

plural tardies
: an instance of being tardy (as to a class)

Examples of tardy in a Sentence

Adjective She was tardy to work. They were tardy in filing the application.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
In plain English, the union says company negotiators have been tardy to bargaining sessions, sometimes by as many as 60 minutes, and aren’t always showing up with counterproposals. Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2025 Tommy John surgery — and pitching for the first time with the Dodgers — made Dodger Stadium the center of the baseball universe and prompted notoriously tardy L.A. sports fans to show up early. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2025 Given how little rotation there was in both the four games’ starting lineups and the quarterfinal’s tardy substitutions, simply being able to walk in time for Tuesday’s semifinal will be worthy of a medal. Jeff Rueter, The Athletic, 3 Aug. 2024 His tardy arrival caused a two-hour delay and European delegates, including UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, staged a walkout. UEFA, the European federation, issued a harsh statement following the walkout. Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tardy

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

alteration of earlier tardif, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *tardivus, from Latin tardus

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tardy was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tardy. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

tardy

adjective
tar·​dy
ˈtärd-ē
tardier; tardiest
1
: moving slowly : sluggish
2
: not on time : late
tardily
ˈtärd-ə-lē
adverb
tardiness
ˈtärd-ē-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tardy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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