Roget's Thesaurus: Entry 133 (Lateness)

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#133. Lateness. -- N. {ant. 132} lateness &c. adj.; tardiness &c. (slowness) 275.

delay, delation; cunctation, procrastination; deferring, deferral &c. v.; postponement, adjournment, prorogation, retardation, respite, pause, reprieve, stay of execution; protraction, prolongation; Fabian policy, medecine expectante[Fr], chancery suit, federal case; leeway; high time; moratorium, holdover.

V. be late &c. adj.; tarry, wait, stay, bide, take time; dawdle &c. (be inactive) 683; linger, loiter; bide one's time, take one's time; gain time; hang fire; stand over, lie over.

put off, defer, delay, lay over, suspend; table [parliamentary]; shift off, stave off; waive, retard, remand, postpone, adjourn; procrastinate; dally; prolong, protract; spin out, draw out, lengthen out, stretch out; prorogue; keep back; tide over; push to the last, drive to the last; let the matter stand over; reserve &c. (store) 636; temporize; consult one's pillow, sleep on it.

lose an opportunity &c. 135; be kept waiting, dance attendance; kick one's heels, cool one's heels; faire antichambre[Fr][obs]; wait impatiently; await &c. (expect) 507; sit up, sit up at night.

Adj. late, tardy, slow, behindhand, serotine[obs], belated, postliminious[obs], posthumous, backward, unpunctual, untimely; delayed, postponed; dilatory &c. (slow) 275; delayed &c. v.; in abeyance.

Adv. late; lateward[obs], backward; late in the day; at sunset, at the eleventh hour, at length, at last; ultimately; after time, behind time, after the deadline; too late; too late for &c. 135.

slowly, leisurely, deliberately, at one's leisure; ex post facto; sine die [parl.].

Phr. nonum prematur in annum [Lat][Horace]; "against the sunbeams serotine and lucent" [Longfellow]; ie meglio tardi che mai[It]; deliberando saepe perit occasio [Lat][Syrus].