What does "behindhand" mean?
Late, tardy, overdue, behind (in accomplishing a task, etc.).
Behindhand
adj, adv
adj, adv ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Late, tardy, overdue, behind (in accomplishing a task, etc.).
- Grammar: behindhand is listed as adj, adv.
- Nearest alternatives: after time, ahead of time, anachronistic, antedated.
- Useful contrasts: current, current regime, paid up.
- Usage evidence: These days before the examinations began were very difficult for everybody, and Perrin began that hideous “getting behind-hand” that made things accumulate so that there seemed no chance of ever catching up.
How to use "behindhand"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "behindhand" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "behindhand" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "behindhand" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "behindhand" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "behindhand" is acting as adj, adv in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "after time" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "behindhand", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Late, tardy, overdue, behind (in accomplishing a task, etc.). archaic
"These days before the examinations began were very difficult for everybody, and Perrin began that hideous “getting behind-hand” that made things accumulate so that there seemed no chance of ever catching up."
- 2 Not at the expected point of completion. archaic
"It was now the season for planting and sowing; many gardens and allotments of the villagers had already received their spring tillage; but the garden and the allotment of the Durbeyfields were behindhand."
- 3 Behind (someone or something moving, a trend, etc.), lagging behind, not keeping up. archaic
"I have constantly observed, that the generality of people are fifty years, at least, behind-hand in their politicks."
- 4 Behind in paying a debt; in arrears. archaic
"Leo. ... theſe thy offices (So rarely kind) are as Interpreters Of my behind-hand ſlackneſſe."
- 5 Not having enough of, lacking (in something). archaic
"1777, Samuel Johnson, Letter to James Boswell dated 25 November, 1777, cited in James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, London: Charles Dilly, 1791, Volume 2, p. 178, […] I have had for some time a very difficult and laborious respiration, but I am better by purges, abstinence, and other methods. I am yet however much behind-hand in my health and rest."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Inferior, less advanced (compared with someone in something). dated
"[…] I’ll shew you I scorn to be behind-hand in Civility with you; and as you are not angry for what I have said, so I am not angry for what you have said."
Adjective
- 1 behind schedule wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Belatedly, tardily. archaic
- 2 In debt, or in arrears. archaic
Adverb
- 1 in debt wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"These days before the examinations began were very difficult for everybody, and Perrin began that hideous “getting behind-hand” that made things accumulate so that there seemed no chance of ever catching up."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "behindhand"?
Common synonyms include: after time, ahead of time, anachronistic, antedated, arrested, back.
How do you use "behindhand" in a sentence?
These days before the examinations began were very difficult for everybody, and Perrin began that hideous “getting behind-hand” that made things accumulate so that there seemed no chance of ever catching up.
Etymology
From behind + hand.