last minute
240
1.9
- noun
:
último momento
- She always waits until the last minute to book her travel tickets.
- wait until the last minute
- decide at the last minute
- cancel at the last minute
And always in the last minute of a lecture, there's a special case.
- And always in the last minute of a lecture, there's a special case.
- It's like just right as the sun, like the last minute you have to walk beautiful.
- So we are ready to commit the suicide and the last minute they stopped.
Examples
-
Leaving things till the last minute, huh?
-
My boss was supposed to come to this conference, and at the last minute, he got the measles.
Fiction book (1994) -
You know how I hate the last minute.
-
I try to learn the music, but sometimes I wait until the last minute.
Academic text (2003) -
Or maybe you need a last minute item before your guests arrive.
-
However, the new president decided at the last minute to send a small delegation.
Academic text (1994) -
To avoid a painful movie, I wait until the last minute to buy a ticket.
Fiction book (1995) -
My schedule freed up at the last minute and so, we decided to come.
-
However, something came up last minute and David had to reschedule.
-
Jason decides at the last minute not to attend and to stay home.
Academic text (2009)
Synonyms
490
1.8
A time by which something must be finished
167
3.5
At the last moment before it is too late
101
2.5
Happening just before the last possible moment to act
35
2.7
A set time by which you must finish something
15
3.7
With very little time to prepare
7
6.3
A final effort before something ends or fails
6
5.2
The latest possible time before a deadline or event
3
4.5
The last moment before a deadline when it is almost too late
Happens just in time before it is too late
How Late
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the latest possible time' is directly and compositionally derived from 'last' (final) + 'minute' (a short time interval). This adjective+noun combination follows regular semantic composition and has direct parallels in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Last minute comes from the picture of the very last small part of time on a clock, the last tiny minute before something happens. So, it means 'the latest possible time' to do something.