slightly tardy

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "slightly tardy" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe someone or something that is a little late or delayed, often in a light-hearted or informal context. Example: "I apologize for being slightly tardy to the meeting; I got caught in traffic."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Bobby Gillespie - Rock the Shack (2001) Rock the Shack, New Order's slightly tardy take on the new rock revolution, featured the Primal Scream lead singer on backing vocals.

The Guardian - Music

Patients who were on time or slightly tardy after the intervention can be said to receive a disproportionate share of the benefit.

BMJ Open

Considering patients who are prompt or only slightly tardy like those in group L1 after our intervention, we see that the intuition that reducing unpunctuality has a great impact on waiting times is indeed true for this group.

BMJ Open

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

It can be somewhat tardy in reporting and yields many false positives.

WikiHow

The average tardiness of those who were tardy fell from 16.75 min (5.59) to 2.0 min.

BMJ Open

10.43pm GMT 16th over: New Zealand 32-0 (Fulton 21, Rutherford 10) Looking straight into the mouth of the Twitter beast, and being slightly put off by its breath, I find that certain Kiwi fans are slightly distressed by their tardy run rate.

The Guardian - Sport

His bat's tardy".

The New York Times - Sports

A Tardy Moonflower Q.

The New York Times

Why so tardy?

The Guardian - Music

Jacobsen's horse, Tardy, died.

The Guardian - Books

A tardy arrival is disastrous.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "slightly tardy" to soften the impact of admitting lateness or delay, particularly when the delay is minor and not critical.

Common error

Avoid using "slightly tardy" in highly formal reports or official communications. Opt for phrases like "somewhat delayed" or "a little late" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "slightly tardy" functions as a descriptor, where "slightly" modifies the adjective "tardy", indicating a minor degree of lateness. Ludwig's analysis confirms its usage in various contexts, highlighting its role in softening the impact of being late.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "slightly tardy" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase to describe something or someone a little late, confirmed by Ludwig's analysis. While relatively rare, it effectively softens the admission of lateness. Predominantly found in news, media, and scientific contexts, it maintains a neutral register suitable for various situations. When aiming for a more formal tone, consider alternatives like "somewhat delayed". Use it judiciously to acknowledge minor delays with a touch of politeness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a little late

Uses a simpler adjective to convey lateness.

somewhat delayed

Replaces "tardy" with a more formal synonym, "delayed".

marginally late

Emphasizes the small degree of lateness.

just a bit behind schedule

Offers a more descriptive and less direct way of expressing lateness.

running a tad behind

Uses an informal idiom to indicate a slight delay.

slightly behind time

Rephrases the sentence to put emphasis on the delay regarding the time.

a shade overdue

Employs a more figurative expression to describe lateness.

not exactly on time

Uses a double negative to subtly indicate lateness.

a touch behind

Replaces "slightly" with "a touch", maintaining informality.

barely late

Highlights the minimal degree of lateness with emphasis.

FAQs

What does "slightly tardy" mean?

The phrase "slightly tardy" means someone or something is a little late or delayed. It implies a minor degree of unpunctuality.

How to use "slightly tardy" in a sentence?

You might say, "I apologize for being "slightly tardy" to the meeting, traffic was heavy", or "The delivery was "slightly tardy", but it arrived eventually".

What can I say instead of "slightly tardy"?

You can use alternatives like "a little late", "somewhat delayed", or "marginally late" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "a little late" or "slightly tardy"?

Both "a little late" and ""slightly tardy"" are acceptable, but "a little late" is more common and generally considered more informal. "Slightly tardy" sounds a bit more formal.