tardiness
Showing up late
Tardiness is the quality or habit of being late.
It carries a slightly formal or institutional tone—schools track tardiness, employers penalize it: Chronic tardiness will affect your grade.
Where lateness is neutral, tardiness often implies fault or pattern: His tardiness was becoming a problem.
Habitually not timely
Habitual task avoidance
- dawdlingLeisurely time-wasting
- lingeringRemaining beyond expected duration
- stallingIntentional delay tactics
- postponementDelaying to later
deferment · dragging · slowness · lagging · dilly-dallying · foot-dragging · loitering · holdup
Persistent apprehensive distress
- rushQuick sudden movement
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
- hasteExcessive quickness
- urgencyPressing need for action
scrambling · frantic · overwhelm · tension · pressure · racing · hurrying
Formal expression of disapproval
- penaltyPunishment for wrongdoing
- demeritPunitive mark recorded
- warningAlert about danger
- write-upDocumented account or review
disciplinary · fired · suspension · probation · reputation · unreliability · inconvenience · disruption
Movement along routes
- alarmUrgent warning signal
- oversleptWoke past intended time
- emergencySerious sudden danger
- apologyStatement acknowledging wrongdoing
sorry · explanation · justification · blame · unforeseen · circumstances
Intolerance of delay
- foot-tappingRhythmic movement to music
- clock-watchingObsessive tracking of hours
- frustrationDispleasure from blocked efforts
- annoyanceState of being bothered
irritation · anticipation · restlessness · exasperation · boredom · sighing · eye-rolling
unpunctual
Habitually not timely
laggard · oversleeping · clock-watching · sluggishness · detention
procrastination
Habitual task avoidance
- dawdlingLeisurely time-wasting
- lingeringRemaining beyond expected duration
- stallingIntentional delay tactics
postponement · deferment · dragging · slowness · lagging · dilly-dallying · foot-dragging · loitering · holdup · setback
anxiety
Persistent apprehensive distress
urgency · scrambling · frantic · overwhelm · tension · pressure · racing · hurrying
reprimand
Formal expression of disapproval
write-up · disciplinary · fired · suspension · probation · reputation · unreliability · inconvenience · disruption · setback
traffic
Movement along routes
apology · sorry · explanation · justification · blame · unforeseen · circumstances
impatience
Intolerance of delay
- foot-tappingRhythmic movement to music
- clock-watchingObsessive tracking of hours
- frustrationDispleasure from blocked efforts
annoyance · irritation · anticipation · restlessness · exasperation · boredom · sighing · eye-rolling
- school mischiefspitballs, note passing, passing notes, cheating, copying
- school problemsdropout rates, overcrowding, school funding, budget cuts, bullying
- school rulesschool rules, dress code, code of conduct, bullying, cheating
- work habitspunctuality, attendance, productivity, professionalism, reliability
- work problemslayoff, firing, low pay, burnout, deadline pressure
- timesecond, minute, hour, day, seconds
tardinesspunctuality
Being on time
promptness · earliness · timeliness · promptitude · prematureness
tardinesspreparedness
State of being equipped
readiness · alacrity · eagerness · dispatch · expeditiousness
tardinesspreparedness
State of being equipped
readiness · dependability · conscientiousness · diligence · reliability