behind time
1
3.2
- idiom
- Indian
:
atrasado
- She was behind time for her meeting because of traffic.
Examples
-
The project is behind time and we need to work overtime to catch up.
-
- We're two minutes behind time.
-
The train is behind time, owing to the late arrival of the Channel boat, and stops only for the briefest moments.
Blog text (22) -
Nearly all the cars were behind time, especially those bringing people home from the city. The Herndon commuters did not reach home until late at night, as an accidental turning off of the current stopped the entire system for several hours.
Blog text (26) -
The flight arrived twenty minutes behind time due to bad weather.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
After the usual or planned time
103
2.7
Not done, paid, or returned by the expected time
25
3.9
Arriving or happening later than expected
18
4.4
Happening or arriving later than expected
4
3.2
Not happening when planned and running late
1
1.3
Slower than usual in development or learning
Late in doing something, especially in paying money you owe
Antonyms
How Late
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective phrase 'behind time' directly combines 'behind' (in a delayed position) with 'time', yielding the compositional meaning 'late' or 'delayed'. This is a common, literal pattern in English (and has parallels in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words can reliably infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Behind time gives the simple image of someone standing behind a clock or a plan, so the right moment has already passed and they are behind the scheduled time. So, it came to mean 'late' or 'delayed'.