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Glite Dictionary
to run late

to run late

86 2.2
To arrive later than planned or expected
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : llegar tarde (personas/vehículos)
  • If I'm running late, I will call you.
  • a meeting ran late

So I am running late for uni, surprise surprise.

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Examples

  • You are running late for a meeting with the audit committee.

    Academic text (2003)

  • I'm sorry, I'm running late for a meeting.

    Carnage (1984)

  • Her staff meeting must have run late, he thinks.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • The man had agreed to pick her up to take her to the doctor and was running late.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • I explained that I had an appointment and was running late for it.

    Blog text (14)

  • My car broke down and I'm already running late.

    One and the Same (2021)

  • I'm running late for the office again.

    Home Alone 3 (1997)

  • I'm running late for work.

    Premonition (2007)

  • I am running late for my niece's christening.

    Theater Camp (2023)

  • I'm running late for my meeting, so I'll be there soon.

Synonyms

to arrive late
vsto run late
9 1.3

Get to a place or event after the time you were expected to be there

is broader, covering being delayed as well as getting there later
to wind up late
vsto run late
  • Informal
4.4

Arrive somewhere later than expected, often by accident

is broader and not limited to accidental or unplanned delays

Antonyms

punctual
27 3.2

On time for a meeting or event

How Late

delay
434 1.3
to run late
86 2.2

Surface Forms

run late infinitive
running late present participle
runs late third person singular
ran late past
ran late past participle

Morphology

run + late

The meaning 'to be delayed or arrive later than expected' is directly derivable from combining 'run' (here meaning to occur or be in a particular temporal state) with 'late' (after the expected time). This is a common compositional English pattern (e.g. 'the meeting ran late', 'train runs late') and is readily understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Run late comes from a simple image: imagine someone trying to run to a meeting but the clock keeps moving and they still arrive late. So, to run late means 'to be delayed' or 'to arrive later than planned'.