rather late

USAGE SUMMARY

"rather late" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it informally to describe something that is slightly later than expected or desired. For example, "We arrived at the party rather late."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Unluckily they started rather late.

The Economist

He has left it rather late.

The Economist

It came rather late in the day.

Independent

Nevertheless, the country's decision seems rather late.

The New York Times

Dinner was rather late that night.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

It's spectacular, but it's rather late in the day.

The Guardian - Music

Unfortunately, they appear rather late in the report.

The Guardian - Opinion

"I am coming rather late to Bach, Jacquelinee admits.

The Guardian - Music

The senator has arrived rather late at this party.

The New York Times

The world's largest economies have swung into action rather late.

The Guardian

"Z" is just one of many pictures in which Mr. Trintignant's character enters rather late.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "rather late" to soften the impact of direct criticism or to politely indicate that something happened later than it should have. For instance, "The response, while appreciated, arrived rather late."

Common error

In very formal writing, consider using more precise or sophisticated alternatives like "belatedly" or "subsequently" to maintain a professional tone. "Rather late" can sometimes sound too casual for academic papers or official reports.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "rather late" functions as an adverbial modifier. As Ludwig AI confirms, it modifies verbs or adjectives to indicate a degree of lateness. Examples include "arrived rather late" or "began skating rather late".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

26%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "rather late" is a commonly used adverbial phrase that indicates something happening or being done later than expected, as supported by Ludwig's analysis. It is grammatically correct and suitable for various contexts, including news, media, and scientific writing. While generally neutral in tone, more formal alternatives like "belatedly" may be preferred in certain situations. The phrase is versatile, but writers should avoid overuse in highly formal documents and ensure that it accurately conveys the intended degree of lateness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

comparatively late

Emphasizes a comparison to a standard or expected time.

relatively late

Highlights that the lateness is in relation to something else, providing a degree of relativity.

somewhat late

Indicates a moderate degree of lateness, suggesting it is not severely delayed.

fairly late

Similar to "somewhat late", indicating a reasonable degree of lateness.

quite late

Emphasizes the lateness more strongly than "somewhat" or "fairly".

pretty late

An informal way of saying something is late, similar to "quite late".

belatedly

A more formal adverb meaning "too late" or "tardily".

tardily

Similar to "belatedly" but perhaps with a stronger connotation of reluctance.

behind schedule

Focuses on the fact that something is not happening according to the planned timeline.

delayed

Implies that something was meant to happen earlier but was held up.

FAQs

How can I use "rather late" in a sentence?

You can use "rather late" to indicate that something is happening later than expected. For example, "They arrived "rather late" to the meeting", or "He started learning to play the piano "rather late" in life".

What's the difference between "rather late" and "too late"?

"Rather late" suggests something is slightly delayed, whereas "too late" implies that an opportunity has been missed or an action is no longer effective. The phrase "too late" carries a stronger sense of finality.

Which is a more formal alternative to "rather late"?

A more formal alternative to "rather late" is "belatedly". Other possibilities include "subsequently" or "tardily", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "a rather late" instead of "rather late"?

No, it is not correct to say "a rather late". The word "rather" modifies the adjective "late" directly, so no article is needed before "rather". For example, "It was a late arrival" is correct, but "It was a rather late arrival" is also acceptable because "rather" modifies "late".