Tardiness Meaning and Definition
Tardiness
Pronunciation
/ˈtɑrdnɪs/
Part of Speech
Noun
Definition
A state of being late or delayed, often causing inconvenience or disruption to schedules or plans.
Examples
- She apologized for her tardiness and promised to be on time for the meeting.
- The flight was delayed due to poor weather conditions, causing a significant amount of tardiness.
Synonyms
- Delay
- Lateness
Antonyms
- Punctuality
- Timeliness
Etymology
The word ‘Tardiness’ comes from the Latin ‘tardus’, meaning slow or late, and the suffix ‘-ness’, indicating a state or quality.
Usage Notes
Tardiness is often used to describe both personal and organizational delays, and can be used literally or figuratively.
Cultural References
In the TV show “The Office”, the character Michael Scott is often late to meetings and appointments, causing frustration among his colleagues.
Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases
“Running behind schedule” or “Running late” are common idioms that convey the idea of tardiness.
Related Words or Phrases
- Delay
- Lateness
- Punctuality
- Timeliness
Collocations
- Tardiness is often accompanied by words such as “delays”, “traffic”, and “rush hour” to describe the causes of lateness.
Frequency of Use
Tardiness is a common phenomenon in modern life, and as such, the word is frequently used in everyday language.
Common Misspellings
- Tardnies
- Tardenes
- Tardinies