late
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- pronunciation:
- leIt
- parts of speech:
- adjective, adverb
- features:
- Word History
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| inflections: |
later, latest |
| definition 1: |
If school starts at eight o'clock, and you get to school ten minutes after eight o'clock, you are late. If a train should leave at nine o'clock, but it doesn't leave until ten o'clock, then the train is very late.
Allison and her mom were meeting Alison's dad at the airport, but his plane was late, and they had to wait for him a long time.The late students were not able to go on the field trip because the bus had already left.- synonyms:
- tardy
- antonyms:
- early, prompt, punctual
- similar words:
- slow
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| definition 2: |
If it is late in the afternoon, it is near the end of the afternoon. If you eat breakfast in the late morning on Saturdays, it means that you eat breakfast near the end of the morning.
Where we live, it begins to snow in the late fall. Sometimes it even snows in the late spring!- similar words:
- waning
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| definition 3: |
If someone calls a person named Mr. Smith "the late Mr. Smith," it means that Mr. Smith has died.
The late Mrs. Johnson was a kind woman who will be loved and missed by everyone who knew her.- synonyms:
- dead, deceased
- antonyms:
- living
- similar words:
- expired
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| related words: |
evening |
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| part of speech: |
adverb |
| inflections: |
later, latest |
| definition 1: |
"Late" means after the usual time or after the expected time. When people arrive late, they arrive after their usual time or after the time that they should arrive.
The flowers bloomed late this year because we haven't had many sunny days.The train arrived late and it was very crowded.Max and his sister were tired after the long ride to their grandparents' house. They slept very late the next morning.- synonyms:
- tardily
- antonyms:
- early, in time
- similar words:
- slowly
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| definition 2: |
"Late" means toward the end of a particular time period.
Late at night, I sometimes hear cats meowing outside.They start practicing for the football season late in the summer.- antonyms:
- early
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| derivation: |
lateness (n.) |
Late comes from an early English word that meant "slow," "lazy," or "sluggish." It was first used in its present meaning ("not on time") in the 1200s. Today, it is possible to be late without being lazy.