about time too

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "about time too" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to express that something should have happened earlier or is long overdue. Example: "He finally called me back; it was about time too." Alternative expressions include "it's about time" and "finally!"

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

And about time, too.

Forbes

It's about time, too.

The New Yorker

About time, too.

The Guardian - Business

About time too, New Yorkers reckon.

The Economist

It is about time, too.

The New York Times - Books

"About time too," agreed @MisterFusty.

The Guardian

Classic Mitchell behaviour and about time, too.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

About time too, you may say.

The Guardian

About time, too, says 31-year-old Jess Vaughan.

Independent

About time, too, says its star Malcolm McDowell.

The Guardian - Film

12.11am BST Football's back And it's about time, too.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "about time too" when you want to inject a sense of personality or editorial opinion into your writing. It effectively communicates that the writer believes the event being discussed was delayed and its arrival is a positive, albeit late, development.

Common error

Do not pair "about time too" with other repetitive phrases like 'finally' in the same clause (e.g. 'Finally, it was about time too'). The phrase itself already conveys the full weight of the delay, and adding more adverbs can make the sentence feel cluttered.

Linguistic Context

In linguistic terms, "about time too" functions as a comment adjunct or an evaluative exclamation. According to Ludwig, it serves to provide a meta-commentary on the timing of a preceding statement, emphasizing that the action was expected much earlier. The addition of "too" at the end acts as an intensifier, making the sentiment stronger than the base form.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

10%

Social Media

5%

Less common in

Science

1%

Encyclopedias

1%

Academia

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "about time too" is a powerful idiomatic tool used to emphasize that an event is long overdue. Ludwig AI analysis shows that it is exceptionally common in high-quality journalism, particularly in the UK and US, where writers use it to add a touch of personality and evaluative weight to their reports. By adding "too" to the base idiom, the writer communicates a stronger sense of relief or impatience. When using this phrase, remember it is best suited for editorial, opinionated, or conversational contexts where you want to express that a specific action was not just expected, but significantly delayed. It remains one of the most effective ways to signal that a change is both welcome and late.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it's about time

The most common complete sentence form of the expression

about time

The base idiom without the emphatic addition of 'too'

at long last

Adds a more formal or dramatic tone to the expression of relief

at last

A shorter exclamatory form focusing on the moment of occurrence

finally

A simpler, more direct adverbial alternative

it's high time

Stronger emphasis, often used to suggest something should have happened even earlier

long overdue

An adjective phrase describing the situation rather than an exclamation

not a moment too soon

Emphasizes that the event happened just before it was too late

it was time

A simpler past-tense statement of fact

better late than never

A common proverb focusing on the positive outcome despite the delay

FAQs

How do I use "about time too" in a sentence?

You can use it as a standalone exclamation or as a parenthetical comment. For example: "The company finally released the update, and <a href="/s/about+time+too" target="_blank" rel="alternative">about time too."

What is the difference between "about time too" and "it's high time"?

While both refer to delays, <a href="/s/high+time" target="_blank" rel="alternative">high time is usually followed by a clause (e.g. 'it's high time we left'), whereas "about time too" is typically used as a reaction to something that has just occurred.

Is "about time too" formal enough for business writing?

It is frequently used in high-level business journalism, such as in The Economist or Forbes. However, in strictly formal reports or legal documents, you might prefer more neutral terms like <a href="/s/long+overdue" target="_blank" rel="alternative">long overdue or <a href="/s/finally" target="_blank" rel="alternative">finally.

What can I say instead of "about time too"?

Depending on the tone you want to set, you could use <a href="/s/at+long+last" target="_blank" rel="alternative">at long last for a formal tone, or simply <a href="/s/it's+about+time" target="_blank" rel="alternative">it's about time for a standard idiomatic reaction.