late 1 of 2

adjective

ˈlāt How to pronounce late (audio)
Definition of latenext
1
as in delayed
not arriving, occurring, or settled at the due, usual, or proper time I ran as fast as I could, but was still late for class

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in former
having been such at some previous time the late musical director said he would never have allowed such behavior while he was in charge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fallen
no longer living our late granduncle remembered us in his will

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in advanced
being far along in development late impressionism gave rise to pointillism

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

late

2 of 2

adverb

1
as in later
after the due, usual, or proper time she has a habit of arriving late for everything

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lately
not long ago the actress, late of New York but now of Los Angeles, is being eagerly sought for film roles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective late contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of late are dead, deceased, defunct, and departed. While all these words mean "devoid of life," late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

In what contexts can dead take the place of late?

In some situations, the words dead and late are roughly equivalent. However, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

How is deceased related to other words for late?

Deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

When is defunct a more appropriate choice than late?

The synonyms defunct and late are sometimes interchangeable, but defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

When could departed be used to replace late?

Although the words departed and late have much in common, departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of late
Adjective
Alvin was expected to strengthen late Thursday, then weaken late Friday. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 30 May 2025 But the younger Marley is not standing in the shadows of his late father. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
Adverb
Stephens said Aurora was invited to apply for the cohort around late last year. —R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025 Gains were bigger in Asia, where markets had the first chance to react to the ruling issued late on Wednesday by the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York. —CBS News, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for late
Recent Examples of Synonyms for late
  1. former
  2. advanced
  3. later
  4. lately
  5. belated
  6. old
  7. dead
  8. eventually
Adjective
  • Thornton and Veronica Burton — both former Dallas Wings teammates — combined for 13 points in the third, but the lead again stretched to 16 at the end of the third.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 28 May 2025
  • Legends finds Jackson playing Victor, a former boxing champ and pizzeria owner.
    — Nicole Acosta, People.com, 28 May 2025
Definition of former
Adjective
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating collisions involving Tesla's full self-driving (FSD) advanced driver assistance software in reduced roadway visibility conditions since October.
    — Akash Sriram, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Selling and facilitating advanced AI and cloud services to a government engaged in systemic ethnic cleansing is not ‘business is usual’.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 21 May 2025
Definition of advanced
Adverb
  • Existing cardmembers should use them until Aug. 25, GM said, and can expect their new, replacement Barclays cards later this summer, along with activation instructions.
    — Jackie Charniga, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • Another big front is expected later this week coming east from the Rocky Mountains, and that should stir up some interesting weather.
    — Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Definition of later
Adverb
  • Why Are More Americans Interested In Dual Citizenship? Marshall has also noticed a clear trend of more Americans, especially those with significant assets, applying for dual citizenship lately.
    — Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025
  • The two admired the rapper's car collection as 2 Chainz explained his love for a certain Tesla model that has been under scrutiny lately.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Definition of lately
Adjective
  • Scrambling to recall a few staff and issue some belated funding is just window dressing.
    — David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Please accept our belated apology.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2025
Definition of belated
Adjective
  • Former New College student Katie Helms, 47, got emotional when remembering her old mentor.
    — Toria Sheffield, People.com, 25 May 2025
  • Part of it is intentional — this is an adaptation inspired by the sirens of Greek mythology, which is a tale as old as time.
    — Lauren Coates, Variety, 24 May 2025
Definition of old
Adjective
  • He was pronounced dead at the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
    — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 25 May 2025
  • The silver vehicle then hit the 84-year-old woman, who was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
    — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
Definition of dead
Adverb
  • Victoria jumped at the opportunity and eventually faced her sister.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • The Democrat was elected to Congress in 1970 and would eventually serve 23 terms.
    — Jade Walker, CNN Money, 27 May 2025
Definition of eventually

Phrases Containing late

Browse Nearby Words

latch (on or onto)
late
latecomer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Late.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/late. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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