tardy
tardy
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for tardy is /ˈtɑːrdi/.
tar: /tɑːr/ - This syllable starts with the voiceless alveolar plosive /t/, followed by the open back unrounded vowel /ɑː/ (like in "father"), and ends with the rhotic consonant /r/.
dy: /di/ - This syllable consists of the voiced alveolar plosive /d/ and the front close unrounded vowel /i/ (like in "happy").
Word Form Variations
Adjective: tardy
Comparative: tardier
Superlative: tardiest
Noun: tardiness, tardy (plural: tardies)
Adverb: tardily
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
tardy
(adj.) Arriving or occurring after the expected or proper time.
Synonyms: late, overdue, delayed, unpunctual
Antonyms: punctual, early, prompt, on time
(adj.) Characterized by slow movement or a sluggish pace.
Synonyms: slow, sluggish, dilatory, lagging
Antonyms: fast, quick, rapid
Noun
tardiness
(n.) The state or quality of being late or behind schedule.
Synonyms: lateness, unpunctuality, delay
Antonyms: punctuality, promptness, earliness
tardy (plural: tardies)
(n.) An official record or instance of being late, particularly in a school or work setting.
Synonyms: late slip, demerit, lateness
Antonyms: N/A
Adverb
tardily
(adv.) In a manner that is slow or late.
Synonyms: late, slowly, sluggishly, belatedly
Antonyms: punctually, promptly, on time
Examples of Use
Here are several real-world examples of how "tardy" and its variations are used.
In Literature and Media
In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the judge admonishes Atticus Finch for his late arrival in court, stating, "You are tardy, counsel. The court has been waiting."
A headline from The Guardian might read, "Critics slam government's tardy response to the environmental crisis," highlighting a delayed reaction to an urgent issue. (The Guardian, September 2024)
The reality TV personality Kim Zolciak-Biermann released a song titled "Tardy for the Party," which humorously plays on the idea of being fashionably late for a social event.
In Official and Professional Contexts
A common school policy announcement might state: "Students who accumulate more than three tardies in a marking period will be assigned to after-school detention." This uses the noun form to refer to instances of lateness.
An employer might address an employee's performance by saying, "We need to discuss your chronic tardiness, as it affects the entire team's workflow in the morning."
In a legal or corporate filing, a sentence might state, "The company was fined for its tardily submitted tax documents," using the adverb to describe the action of submitting something late.
In General Public Discourse
A friend running late might send a text message saying, "So sorry, I'm going to be tardy! The train is delayed."
When discussing a film or book review, someone might comment, "The hero's tardy arrival at the final battle felt unbelievable; he should have gotten there much sooner."
In everyday conversation, a parent might warn their child, "If you're tardy for school one more time this week, you'll lose your video game privileges."
10 Famous Quotes Using Tardy
You are tardy, counsel. (Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird)
Love that comes too late is a tardy guest that finds the doors barred. (Baltasar Gracián)
A tardy vengeance is no vengeance. (John Ford, The Broken Heart)
Be not tardy in showing your gratitude. (Sirach 14:13, The Apocrypha)
His was a tardy intellect, but when it was roused, it was a mighty one. (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans)
Justice that is tardy is not justice, but a hollow echo of what should have been.
A tardy apology often serves only to reopen the wound.
Let it not be said that our response was too tardy for freedom's urgent call.
Hope is a tardy friend, arriving just as we have learned to live without it.
Do not be tardy in celebrating your own victories, lest the moment pass you by.
Etymology
The word tardy traveled through a couple of languages before it arrived in English. Its journey begins with the Latin word tardus, which meant "slow," "sluggish," or "dull." The core idea was simply about a lack of speed.
From Latin, the word was adopted into French as tardif, which carried the same meaning of "slow" but was also used to mean "late."
English speakers borrowed the word from French in the late 1400s. When it was first used in English, tardy primarily meant "slow to act or move." It wasn't long before it also took on the closely related meaning we use most often today: "late" or "behind schedule." After all, if you are slow, you are likely to be late.
So, at its root, being tardy isn't just about being late—it's about being slow. You can even see this ancient root tardus in other English words, like the tardigrade, an incredibly resilient micro-animal whose name means "slow stepper."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Tardy
Phrases Using "Tardy"
Tardy for the party: A playful, rhyming phrase for being late to a social event. 🥳
A tardy response: Often used formally to describe a delayed reaction to a request, event, or crisis.
Chronically tardy: A common descriptor for a person who is habitually late.
A tardy spring: A poetic way of describing a spring season that arrives later than usual. 🌸
Tardy in payment: A formal phrase indicating a bill or debt has not been paid on time.
Idioms with a Similar Meaning
Better late than never: It's better to do something late than to not do it at all.
A day late and a dollar short: An action or effort that is both too late and insufficient to be of any use.
To miss the boat: To be too slow to take advantage of an opportunity. 🚢
Slow on the uptake: To be slow to understand or react to something.
At the eleventh hour: To do something at the very last possible moment before a deadline.
Fashionably late: Arriving intentionally late to an event to make a more noticeable entrance.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of tardy from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
