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Webster 1913 Edition

Tardy

Tar′dy

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Tardier
;
sup
erl.
Tardiest
.]
[F.
tardif
, fr. (assumed) LL.
tardivus
, fr. L.
tardus
slow.]
1.
Moving with a slow pace or motion; slow; not swift.
And check the
tardy
flight of time.
Sandys.
Tardy
to vengeance, and with mercy brave.
Prior.
2.
Not being inseason; late; dilatory; – opposed to prompt;
as, to be
tardy
in one’s payments
.
Arbuthnot.
The
tardy
plants in our cold orchards placed.
Waller.
3.
Unwary; unready.
[Obs.]
Hudibras.
4.
Criminal; guilty.
[Obs.]
Collier.
Syn. – Slow; dilatory; tedious; reluctant. See
Slow
.

Tar′dy

,
Verb.
T.
To make tardy.
[Obs.]
Shak.

Webster 1828 Edition

Tardy

T`ARDY

,
Adj.
[L. tardus.]
1.
Slow; with a slow pace or motion.
And check the tardy flight of time.
2.
Late; dilatory; not being in season.
The tardy plants in our cold orchards plac'd
You may freely censure him for being tardy in his payments.
3.
Slow; implying reluctance.
Tardy to vengeance, and with mercy brave.
4.
Unwary. [Not in use.]
5.
Criminal. [Not in use.]

T`ARDY

,
Verb.
I.
To delay. [Not in use.]

Definition 2024

tardy

tardy

English

Adjective

tardy ‎(comparative tardier, superlative tardiest)

  1. Late; overdue or delayed.
    He yawned, then raised a tardy hand over his mouth.
  2. Ineffectual; slow-witted, slow to act, or dullard.
    His tardy performance bordered on incompetence.
  3. Moving with a slow pace or motion; not swift.
    • Sandys
      Check the tardy flight of time.
    • Prior
      tardy to vengeance, and with mercy brave
  4. (obsolete) Unwary; unready.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Hudibras to this entry?)
  5. (obsolete) Criminal; guilty.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Collier to this entry?)

Synonyms

Usage notes

  • The term suggests habitual lateness.
  • Somewhat dated in the United Kingdom.

Translations

Noun

tardy ‎(plural tardies)

  1. (US) A piece of paper given to students who are late to class.
    The teacher gave her a tardy because she did not come into the classroom until after the bell.
  2. (US) An instance of a student being marked as tardy by a teacher in his or her attendance sheet.

See also

Verb

tardy ‎(third-person singular simple present tardies, present participle tardying, simple past and past participle tardied)

  1. (obsolete, transitive) To make tardy.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)

Etymology

From an earlier tardive, from Old French tardif, from Vulgar Latin *tardivus, from Latin tardus ‎(“slow”, “sluggish”).

Pronunciation

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