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Glite Dictionary
fashionably late

fashionably late

6 4.8
Arriving a little after the set time on purpose to look stylish
  • idiom
translation icon : tarde a la moda
  • She decided to arrive fashionably late to the party to make a grand entrance.
  • fashionably late entrance
  • fashionably late to the party
  • always fashionably late

Examples

  • A lot of people showed up fashionably late due to the nail-biting Texas A&M vs. Alabama game.

    Blog text (26)

  • Look, women are always fashionably late.

    Raise Your Voice (2004)

  • Yeah, well, you knew enough to be fashionably late.

    Assassination of a High School President (2008)

  • I suppose this is what they call fashionably late.

    Happy Birthday to Me (1981)

  • Well, I was going for a fashionably-late entrance and I was too late.

    American Pie (1999)

  • I thought a fashionably late entrance would enhance my appearance.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • I don't believe in being fashionably late either.

    Sergio (2020)

  • I know you're always fashionably late, but I would just love to know what actually kept us all waiting for you today.

    Poolhall Junkies (2002)

  • But if you arrive fashionably late, you can get in before the bulk of the upswing has taken place.

    Blog text (27)

  • They arrived at the Norris Cleveland party fashionably late.

    Fiction book (1994)

Synonyms

late
vsfashionably late
∞ 1.0

Arriving after the usual or expected time

arrives intentionally later to seem stylish rather than by accident
belatedly
vsfashionably late
11 4.9

To do something later than expected or usual

arrives intentionally later to appear stylish or follow social norms

Antonyms

on time
321 1.0

At the expected time

punctual
27 3.2

On time for a meeting or event

How Late

late
∞ 1.0
fashionably late
6 4.8
on time
321 1.0

Surface Forms

fashionably late positive

Morphology

fashionably + late

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'fashionably' (in a stylish manner) with 'late' (after the expected time): it denotes arriving late for stylistic/social reasons. This compositional reading is common and predictable (and has parallels in other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand the phrase.

Etymology

Fashionably late comes from social parties where people would arrive a little after the start so their entrance looked stylish, with being late seen as fashionable. So it means 'arriving on purpose a little late to seem stylish'.