I. late 1 S1 W1 /leɪt/ BrE AmE adjective ( comparative later , superlative latest )
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: læt ]
1 . AFTER EXPECTED TIME arriving, happening, or done after the time that was expected, agreed, or arranged OPP early :
Sorry I’m late – I overslept.
ten minutes/two hours etc late
You’re half an hour late.
The train was even later than usual.
We apologize for the late departure of flight AZ709.
There are penalties if loan repayments are late.
late for
Cheryl was late for school.
late with
We’ve never been late with the rent.
2 . NEAR THE END [only before noun] used to refer to the part near the end of a period of time OPP early :
a late eighteenth century building
Paul’s in his late forties.
in the late 1980s
By late afternoon, she had done 10 drawings.
3 . be too late to arrive or do something after the time when something could or should have been done:
He shouted a warning but it was too late.
too late to do something
Are we too late to get tickets?
It was too late to turn back.
4 . AFTER USUAL TIME happening or done after the usual or normal time:
a late breakfast
The harvest was late this year because of the rain.
She looked tired – too many late nights (=nights when she went to bed after the normal time) .
5 . EVENING near the end of a day:
the late movie
It’s late – I’d better go home.
6 . DEAD [only before noun] dead
late husband/wife
Mrs. Moore’s late husband
7 . late developer/bloomer
a) a child who develops socially, emotionally, or physically at a later age than other children
b) someone who does not become successful until they are older
8 . it’s (a little/bit) late in the day (to do something) used to show disapproval because someone has done something too late:
It’s a bit late in the day to start having objections.
9 . late of something formal used about someone who has died fairly recently:
Billy Hicks, late of this parish
—lateness noun [uncountable] :
penalties for lateness at work
despite the lateness of the hour
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ late arriving or happening after the time that was expected or arranged:
Sorry I’m late.
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The bus was late.
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Spring seems to be very late this year.
▪ not on time not arriving or doing something at the time that was expected or arranged:
He never hands his homework in on time.
|
If we don’t leave on time, we’ll miss the flight.
▪ overdue not done or happening by the expected time – used especially about payments that are late or library books that should have been returned:
Your rent is three weeks overdue.
|
I had to pay a £3 fine on some overdue library books.
▪ be behind with something British English , be behind on something American English to be late in doing something that you have to do:
I can’t come out because I’m behind with my English essay.
▪ be held up to be made late for a meeting, appointment etc by something that happens, especially by bad traffic:
I was held up by a traffic jam.
▪ be delayed to be prevented from arriving, leaving, or happening at the expected time – often used about public transport:
The flight was delayed by bad weather.
▪ belated /bɪˈleɪtəd, bɪˈleɪtɪd/ given or done late – used especially about something that someone has forgotten or failed to do:
a belated birthday card
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I’m still hoping for a belated apology from him.
▪ tardy especially American English formal arriving or happening late:
a habitually tardy person
|
a tardy decision
▪ be in arrears /əˈrɪəz $ əˈrɪrz/ formal to have not made one or more regular payments at the time when you should:
One in eight mortgage payers are in arrears.
II. late 2 S2 W3 BrE AmE adverb ( comparative later , superlative no superlative )
1 . after the usual time:
The stores are open later on Thursdays.
Ellen has to work late tonight.
Can you stay late?
2 . after the arranged or expected time OPP early
ten minutes/two hours etc late
The bus came ten minutes late.
3 . too late after the time when something could or should have been done:
The advice came too late.
4 . near to the end of a period of time or an event
late in
The wedding took place late in May.
It was not a place to walk in late at night.
5 . as late as something used to express surprise that something considered old-fashioned was still happening so recently:
Capital punishment was still used in Britain as late as the 1950s.
6 . of late formal recently:
Birth rates have gone down of late.
7 . late in life if you do something late in life, you do it at an older age than most people do it
8 . better late than never used to say that you are glad someone has done something, or to say that they should do something even though they are late
⇨ run late at ↑ run 1 (39)