First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
1tardy
adjective tar·dy \ˈtär-dē\
: slow in moving, acting, or happening
: done or happening late
: arriving or doing something late
tar·di·ertar·di·est
Full Definition of TARDY
1
: moving slowly : sluggish <the tardy pace at which she was obliged to walk — Charles Dickens>
2
: delayed beyond the expected or proper time : late <a tardy arrival>
— tar·di·ness \ˈtär-dē-nəs\ noun
See tardy defined for English-language learners
See tardy defined for kids
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Origin of TARDY
alteration of earlier tardif, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *tardivus, from Latin tardus
Related to TARDY
- Synonyms
- crawling, creeping, dallying, dawdling, dilatory, dillydallying, dragging, laggard, lagging, languid, leisurely, poking, poky (or pokey), sluggish, snaillike, snail-paced, slow, unhurried
- Antonyms
- barreling, bolting, breakneck, breathless, brisk, careering, dizzy, fast, fleet, flying, hasty, hurrying, lightning, meteoric, quick, racing, rapid, rocketing, running, rushing, scooting, scudding, scurrying, snappy, speeding, speedy, swift, warp-speed, whirling, whirlwind, whisking, zipping
2tardy
noun
plural tardies
Definition of TARDY
: an instance of being tardy (as to a class)
First Known Use of TARDY
1960
Other Education Terms
TARDY Defined for Kids
tardy
adjective tar·dy \ˈtär-dē\
tar·di·ertar·di·est
Definition of TARDY for Kids
: not on time : late
— tar·di·ness \ˈtär-dē-nəs\ noun
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