significantly late

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "significantly late" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation where something is delayed to a considerable extent, often in contexts like transportation, project deadlines, or events. Example: "The train arrived significantly late, causing many passengers to miss their connections."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

Over the past six years or so, I've only had one significantly late delivery.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Virgin east coast was the second-worst, with almost 8percentnt of trains cancelled or running significantly late.

The Times

According to Which?, the latest ORR data suggests almost 47m passenger journeys were either cancelled or significantly late in one year.

The Guardian - Money

The Castro report also found that an ambulance was significantly late in arriving but that the delay probably didn't affect the outcome.

Independent

Major annoyances include the regularity of delays (across Britain, an average of 57 trains run significantly late each day) and, of course, the price of tickets: the costliest in Europe, according to the TUC and Action for Rail.

The Guardian

However, the latest performance figures show that one in four of the remaining Southern trains ran significantly late outside London on Monday and fewer than half arrived on time.

The Guardian - Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

Almost a quarter of Southern trains outside London, including Gatwick Express trains, were either cancelled or significantly late last month.

The Guardian

Despite the U.S. government's subsequent efforts to discourage the migration, a wave of undocumented families and unaccompanied children from Central America rose significantly late last year, according to U.S. figures.

Huffington Post

Of the clinical parameters analyzed, only dysphagia pre-RT (p = 0.06) tended toward significantly predicting late esophageal toxicity.

Duke University

Philander, in particular, saw his pace significantly drop late in the day.

BBC

More and more funding is going into roughly the same pool of private companies, raising round sizes significantly of late.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "significantly late", ensure the context clearly indicates what is being delayed and the impact of that delay. Provide specific details to enhance clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "significantly late" for minor delays. Reserve it for situations where the lateness has a notable consequence or impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "significantly late" functions as an adverbial modifier followed by an adjective. Ludwig examples show it commonly modifies nouns relating to events, deliveries, or payments, indicating a substantial deviation from the expected or scheduled time.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

43%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "significantly late" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe substantial delays across various domains. According to Ludwig, while its usage is not extremely frequent, it finds relevance in news, scientific, and business contexts. Choosing this phrase emphasizes that a delay is not minor, but consequential. To avoid misuse, reserve "significantly late" for situations where the lateness genuinely has a noticeable impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

considerably delayed

Focuses on the extent of the delay, emphasizing the amount of time lost.

substantially delayed

Highlights the importance or impact of the delay.

markedly tardy

Emphasizes the lateness in a more formal or noticeable way.

noticeably overdue

Stresses that something is past its expected or required time.

excessively delayed

Indicates that the delay is beyond what is reasonable or acceptable.

appreciably behind schedule

Highlights being behind the planned timeline in a measurable way.

well behind time

Emphasizes being far from the original schedule or deadline.

seriously delayed

Focuses on the gravity or consequences of the delay.

long overdue

Implies that something should have happened much earlier.

considerably behind

Highlights that the item or event is far from its expected position or time.

FAQs

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

Use "significantly late" to describe situations where a delay is considerable and impactful. For example, "The delivery was "significantly late", disrupting our project timeline."

What are some alternatives to "significantly late"?

Alternatives include "considerably delayed", "substantially delayed", or "markedly tardy". Choose the alternative that best fits the tone and context of your writing; for example, see also "considerably delayed".

Is it appropriate to use "significantly late" in formal writing?

Yes, "significantly late" is appropriate for formal writing. It is a clear and professional way to describe a considerable delay. However, ensure that the context warrants the use of "significantly" to avoid exaggeration.

What's the difference between "late" and "significantly late"?

"Late" simply indicates that something is not on time. "Significantly late" emphasizes that the delay is substantial and often has consequences. Use "significantly late" when the degree of lateness is noteworthy.