late (later comparative) (latest superlative )
1 adv Late means near the end of a day, week, year, or other period of time.
ADV with cl, ADV prep/n (Antonym: early)
It was late in the afternoon..., She had to work late at night..., His autobiography was written late in life..., The case is expected to end late next week...
Late is also an adjective., adj ADJ n
The talks eventually broke down in late spring..., He was in his late 20s., ...the late 1960s.
2 adj If it is late, it is near the end of the day or it is past the time that you feel something should have been done.
v-link ADJ
It was very late and the streets were deserted..., We've got to go now. It's getting late.
lateness n-uncount
A large crowd had gathered despite the lateness of the hour.
3 adv Late means after the time that was arranged or expected.
ADV after v, oft amount ADV
Steve arrived late..., The talks began some fifteen minutes late..., We got up late.
Late is also an adjective., adj oft amount ADJ
His campaign got off to a late start..., We were a little late..., The train was 40 minutes late..., He's a half hour late.
lateness n-uncount
He apologised for his lateness.
4 adv Late means after the usual time that a particular event or activity happens.
ADV after v
We went to bed very late..., He married late.
Late is also an adjective., adj ADJ n
They had a late lunch in a cafe..., He was a very late developer.
5 adj You use late when you are talking about someone who is dead, especially someone who has died recently.
det ADJ
...my late husband., ...the late Mr Parkin.
6 adj Someone who is late of a particular place or institution lived or worked there until recently.
FORMAL v-link ADJ of n
...Cousin Zachary, late of Bellevue Avenue., ...Strobe Talbott, late of Time magazine.
8 If you say better late than never when someone has done something, you think they should have done it earlier.
better late than never convention
It's been a long time coming but better late than never.
9 If you say that someone is doing something late in the day, you mean that their action or behaviour may not be fully effective because they have waited too long before doing it.
late in the day phrase PHR after v, PHR with cl
I'd left it all too late in the day to get anywhere with these strategies.
10 If an action or event is too late, it is useless or ineffective because it occurs after the best time for it.
too late phrase v-link PHR, PHR with v
It was too late to turn back..., We realized too late that we were caught like rats in a trap.
11 →
a late night →
night
late-night
1 adj Late-night is used to describe events, especially entertainments, that happen late in the evening or late at night.
ADJ n
...John Peel's late-night show on BBC Radio One., ...late-night drinking parties.
2 adj Late-night is used to describe services that are available late at night and do not shut when most commercial activities finish.
ADJ n
Saturday night was a late-night shopping night., ...late-night trains.
