Meaning & use
happy belated birthday
An expression used to wish someone a happy birthday after their actual birthday date has already passed.
See it in a sentence
Happy belated birthday! I'm sorry I missed calling you on the actual day.
He sent a happy belated birthday card a week after the party.
A note on using this word
'Belated' means late or delayed, so the phrase politely acknowledges that the greeting is coming after the fact.
Words with a similar meaning
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