What does "tardy" mean?
A piece of paper given to students who are late to class.
Tardy
/ˈtɑːdi/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A piece of paper given to students who are late to class.
- Grammar: tardy is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: belated, late, ahead of time, anachronistic.
- Useful contrasts: accelerated, early, expeditious.
- Usage evidence: They got the sack for being careless and tardy.
How to use "tardy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tardy" 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 "tardy" 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 "tardy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tardy" 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 "tardy" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb 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 "belated" 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.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tardy", 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
Noun
- 1 A piece of paper given to students who are late to class. US
"The teacher gave her a tardy because she did not come into the classroom until after the bell."
- 2 An instance of a student's being marked as tardy by a teacher on the teacher's attendance sheet. US
Verb
- 1 To make tardy. obsolete, transitive
"the good mind of Camillo tardied My swift command"
- 2 To dawdle. intransitive, rare
"Sitting there on the rock behind the school, I heard nothing but the occasional raised voice of some youngster tardying on his way home, and the joints in the schoolhouse squeaking from the frost."
Adjective
- 1 Late; overdue or delayed.
"He yawned, then raised a tardy hand over his mouth."
- 2 Moving with a slow pace or motion; not swift.
"[…] fashions in proud Italy, / Whose manners still our tardy apish nation / Limps after in base imitation."
- 3 Ineffectual; slow-witted, slow to act, or dull.
"His tardy performance bordered on incompetence."
- 4 Unwary; unready (especially in the phrase take (someone) tardy). obsolete
"Be not ta’en tardy by unwise delay."
- 5 Criminal; guilty. obsolete
"And the Franks served the Men much the same ſauce when they found them tardy, and made them run their Heats through the Streets"
Adjective
- 1 after the expected or usual time; delayed wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"They got the sack for being careless and tardy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tardy"?
Common synonyms include: belated, late, ahead of time, anachronistic, antedated, arrested.
How do you use "tardy" in a sentence?
They got the sack for being careless and tardy.
How do you pronounce "tardy"?
Pronounced /ˈtɑːdi/.
Etymology
From an earlier tardive, from French tardif, from Late Latin tardīvus, from Latin tardus (“slow”, “sluggish”), of obscure origin.