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# tardy

adjective (tardy, tardier, tardiest); noun (a tardy, tardies — US school slang)

«tardy» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Tardy means late, arriving after the right time: «Don't be tardy for class». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tardy/#m1)
2. Tardy means slow to act or happen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tardy/#m2)
3. (USA, school) A tardy is a mark against you for arriving late, as in «I got three tardies». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tardy/#m3)

### In the lessons

In US and Canadian schools, «tardy» is everyday school language: a «tardy bell» rings, late pupils get a «tardy slip» or «a tardy». In the UK and Australia, people mostly say «late». Phrases: «tardy slip», «tardy bell», «tardy for school».

### Examples

- If you are tardy, sign in at the office. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tardy/#x1)
- The tardy bell rang and the hall was empty. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tardy/#x2)
- I got a tardy because the bus broke down. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tardy/#x3)
- He was tardy three times this week. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tardy/#x4)
- The tardy reply came weeks after the letter. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tardy/#x5)
- Three tardies mean a detention at our school. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tardy/#x6)

### Note

Adjective forms: tardy, tardier, tardiest. Noun plural: «tardies». Mostly American in school use; in British English it sounds old-fashioned or formal.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «tardy» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tardy/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«tardy» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/tardy.html) on Mova free.