Meaning & use
tardy
Arriving, acting, or happening later than expected or required.
See it in a sentence
Students who arrive after the bell receive a tardy on their record.
He was tardy for the meeting because his train was delayed.
A note on using this word
Common in school settings for lateness; in general speech, 'late' is more natural.
Words with a similar meaning
latedelayed
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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