tad late
1
7.6
- adjective
- Informal
:
un poco tarde
- She arrived a tad late to the concert and missed the opening act.
Perhaps a tad late, but he's absolutely right.
- Perhaps a tad late, but he's absolutely right.
Examples
-
You're a tad late.
-
I was a tad late to the party, but for a band that was not well known and in a time that predated my utilization of the internet for musical discoveries, I did okay.
Blog text (9) -
Now, if you could just move your truck so I could get out, I'm a tad late for work.
-
Perhaps a tad late, but he's absolutely right.
-
I think you're a tad late with your apology, son.
-
I was a tad late to the party, but for a band that was not well known and in a time that predated my utilization of the internet for musical discoveries, I did okay.
Blog text (9) -
I'm a tad late for my meeting, so I need to hurry.
-
His response was a tad late in coming, but it was worth the wait.
Synonyms
Antonyms
How Late
∞
1.0
- Informal
1
7.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'slightly late' is directly and predictably composed from 'tad' (a small amount) modifying 'late' (after the expected time), following the common English pattern degree word + adjective. Although 'tad' is informal, the semantic contribution is clear and cross-linguistically accessible, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand the MWE.
Etymology
Tad late The phrase tad late uses tad, a casual word for a very small amount that may come from 'tadpole', a tiny water creature. The picture of being only a tiny bit late explains why the phrase means 'slightly late'.