English Dictionary
Definition of “late”
late (leɪt
)
Definitions
adjective
- occurring or arriving after the correct or expected time ⇒
the train was late
- (prenominal) occurring, scheduled for, or being at a relatively advanced time ⇒
a late marriage
- (prenominal) towards or near the end ⇒
the late evening
- at an advanced time in the evening or at night ⇒
it was late
- (prenominal) occurring or being just previous to the present time ⇒
his late remarks on industry
- (prenominal) having died, esp recently ⇒
my late grandfather
- (prenominal) just preceding the present or existing person or thing; former ⇒
the late manager of this firm
- See of late
adverb
- after the correct or expected time ⇒
he arrived late
- at a relatively advanced age ⇒
she married late
- recently; lately ⇒
as late as yesterday he was selling books
- See late hours
- See late in the day
Alternative Forms
ˈlateness noun Word Origin
Old English læt; related to Old Norse latr, Gothic lats
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
late at night,
in the night,
L8
Quotations
"Better late than never"
"It is never too late"
Translations
- British English:
late
Late means after the usual time that something happens.The train was 40 minutes late.leɪt ADJECTIVE The train was 40 minutes late.
- Spanish:
tardío
adj
- French: en retard adv
- German:
verspätet
adj
- Chinese: 迟的 adj
- Arabic: مُتَأخِّرٌ adj
- Portuguese: atrasado adj atrasada
- Russian: опоздавший adj опоздавшая
- Croatian: kasni adj kasna
- Czech: zpožděný adj
- Danish: forsinket adj
- Dutch: laat add
- Finnish: myöhässä oleva adj
- Greek: αργοπορημένος adj αργοπορημένη
- Italian: tardo adj tarda
- Japanese: 遅れた no_posp
- Korean: 늦은 adj
- Norwegian: sen adj
- Polish: późny adj późna
- Brazilian Portuguese: atrasado adj atrasada
- European Spanish:
tardío
adj
- Swedish: sen adj sent
- Thai: ช้า adj
- Turkish: gecikmeli adj
- Vietnamese: muộn adj
- British English:
late
You use late when you are talking about someone who is dead....the late president.leɪt ADJECTIVE ...the late president.
- Spanish:
difunto
adj difunta
- French:
défunt
adj
- German:
verstorben
adj
- Chinese: 已故的 adj
- Arabic: الرَّاحِلُ adj
- Portuguese: falecido adj falecida
- Russian: покойный adj покойная
- Croatian: pokojni pokojna
- Czech: zesnulý adj
- Danish: afdød adj
- Dutch: overleden adj
- Finnish: edesmennyt adj
- Greek: μακαρίτης adj μακαρίτισσα
- Italian: defunto adj defunta
- Japanese: 故･･･ no_posp
- Korean: 작고한 adj
- Norwegian: avdød adj
- Polish: nieżyjący adj nieżyjący
- Brazilian Portuguese: falecido adj falecida
- European Spanish:
difunto
adj difunta
- Swedish: avlidne adj avlidna
- Thai: เพิ่งตาย adj
- Turkish: eski adj
- Vietnamese: quá cố adj
- British English:
late
Late means after the proper time.He arrived late for his class.leɪt ADVERB He arrived late for his class.
- Spanish:
tarde
adv
- French:
tard
adv
- German:
spät
adv
- Chinese: 迟 adv
- Arabic: مُتَأَخِّرَاً adv
- Portuguese: tarde adv
- Russian: поздно adv
- Croatian: kasno adv
- Czech: pozdě adv
- Danish: sent adv
- Dutch: te laat adv
- Finnish: myöhään adv
- Greek: αργά adv
- Italian: in ritardo adv
- Japanese: 遅れて adv
- Korean: 늦게 adv
- Norwegian: sent adv
- Polish: późno adv
- Brazilian Portuguese: tarde adv
- European Spanish:
tarde
adv
- Swedish: sent adv
- Thai: สาย adv
- Turkish: geç adv
- Vietnamese: muộn adv
- British English:
late
Late means near the end of a period of time.It was late in the afternoon.leɪt ADVERB It was late in the afternoon.
- French: à la fin de prep
- Arabic: مُتَأَخِّراً adv
- Brazilian Portuguese: tarde adv
Usage examples
In the Old Kingdom, beyond the Wall that lay thirty miles to the north, it was late autumn.
Garth Nix, LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)Open 10am-6pm every day and late night until 9pm Wednesdays.
Country Life (2004)Tinley was the man who persuaded the late Eddie Futch to train McCullough, who relocated to Las Vegas to be near the venerable legend.
Irish Times (2002)Bedtime was late , filled with the warm feeling of having been among friends.
Glasgow Herald (2001)In late February council gangs started to clean up the city.
Jim Leavesley, George Biro, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)
