late

adjective
UK: /leɪt/
US: /leɪt/

  1. After the expected or usual time.

    1. Don't be late for school, please come earlier next time. [ ] [ ]
    2. The train was late, and I missed my connecting bus because of it. [ ] [ ]

  2. Near the end of a period of time.

    1. We arrived late in the evening, so we went straight to bed. [ ] [ ]
    2. It was getting late, and we needed to start thinking about heading home. [ ] [ ]

  3. Having died recently.

    1. Her late husband was a doctor, dedicated to his work. [ ] [ ]
    2. The late Mr. Henderson left a generous donation to the local hospital. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

deceased tardy behind schedule dead advanced
late adverb

  1. After the expected or usual time.

    1. I arrived late to the meeting, feeling really embarrassed. [ ] [ ]
    2. She often stays late at the office to finish her work perfectly. [ ] [ ]

  2. Near the end of a period of time.

    1. We went to bed late last night, watching some interesting show. [ ] [ ]
    2. The store stays open late on Fridays, to attract more busy customers. [ ] [ ]
late verb

  1. To be delayed or behind schedule.

    1. The train will late, so we should call taxi earlier. [ ] [ ]
    2. Don't late, when we have the appointment with the important client. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "late" in English means: After the expected or usual time., Near the end of a period of time., Having died recently..

The phonetic transcription of "late" is /leɪt/ in British English and /leɪt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "late": deceased, tardy, behind schedule, dead, advanced.

Example usage of "late": "Don't be late for school, please come earlier next time.". More examples on the page.