tar·dy

[tahr-dee]
adjective, tar·di·er, tar·di·est.
1.
late; behind time; not on time: How tardy were you today?
2.
moving or acting slowly; slow; sluggish.
3.
delaying through reluctance.

Origin:
1475–85; earlier tardive, tardif < Old French < Vulgar Latin *tardīvus, equivalent to Latin tard(us) slow + -īvus -ive

tar·di·ly, adverb
tar·di·ness, noun


1. slack. 3. dilatory.


1. prompt.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To tardiness
00:10
Tardiness is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
tardy (ˈtɑːdɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj , -dier, -diest
1.  occurring later than expected: tardy retribution
2.  slow in progress, growth, etc: a tardy reader
 
[C15: from Old French tardif, from Latin tardus slow]
 
'tardily
 
adv
 
'tardiness
 
n

tardy (ˈtɑːdɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj , -dier, -diest
1.  occurring later than expected: tardy retribution
2.  slow in progress, growth, etc: a tardy reader
 
[C15: from Old French tardif, from Latin tardus slow]
 
'tardily
 
adv
 
'tardiness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

tardy
late 14c. (implied in tardity), from O.Fr. tardif (12c.), from V.L. *tardivus, from L. tardus "slow, sluggish, dull, stupid," of unknown origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
The employer had no formal or written policies regarding absences or tardiness.
The orders left little room for variation, and none for tardiness.
Higher line management approval is usually required to excuse tardiness longer
  than that authorized by the administrative order.
The bus he had to take ran erratically, and he was fired for repeated tardiness.
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