LATE Synonyms: 221 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'late' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of late are dead , deceased , defunct , and departed . While all these words mean "devoid of life," late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status. // the company's late president

Q: In what contexts can 'dead' take the place of 'late'?

In some situations, the words dead and late are roughly equivalent. However, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life. // a dead , listless performance

Q: How is 'deceased' related to other words for 'late'?

Deceased , departed , and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use. // the estate of the deceased

Q: When is 'defunct' a more appropriate choice than 'late'?

The synonyms defunct and late are sometimes interchangeable, but defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation. // a defunct television series

Q: When could 'departed' be used to replace 'late'?

Although the words departed and late have much in common, departed is used usually as a euphemism. // our departed sister

late 1 of 2

adjective

ˈlāt

Definition of late

as in delayed

not arriving, occurring, or settled at the due, usual, or proper time I ran as fast as I could, but was still late for class

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in former

having been such at some previous time the late musical director said he would never have allowed such behavior while he was in charge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fallen

no longer living our late granduncle remembered us in his will

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in advanced

being far along in development late impressionism gave rise to pointillism

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

late

2 of 2

adverb

as in later

after the due, usual, or proper time she has a habit of arriving late for everything

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in lately

not long ago the actress, late of New York but now of Los Angeles, is being eagerly sought for film roles

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective late contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of late are dead, deceased, defunct, and departed. While all these words mean "devoid of life," late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

In what contexts can dead take the place of late?

In some situations, the words dead and late are roughly equivalent. However, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

How is deceased related to other words for late?

Deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. Deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

When is defunct a more appropriate choice than late?

The synonyms defunct and late are sometimes interchangeable, but defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

When could departed be used to replace late?

Although the words departed and late have much in common, departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of late

Adjective

Russia has received additional ballistic missiles from Pyongyang and is preparing to deploy more North Korean troops, Zelenskyy said late Monday. — CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 On her fiftieth birthday, her cellmates handed her a card written by a fellow-prisoner, a Ukrainian woman in her late sixties, who had spent less than a week in the cell. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Adverb

An early afternoon power nap can be helpful, but too late in the afternoon might set you up for difficulty sleeping at night and a never-ending cycle of poor sleep. — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 More also went into serious delinquency – or 90 days late or more – on their car payments during the same time period than at any quarter since 2010. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for late

Recent Examples of Synonyms for late

Adjective

Ahead of the commissioners’ discussion and delayed vote, there was a flood of opposition from residents, politicians and voting right groups.

— Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026
The filing is backed by a Phase 3 study that showed the drug resulted in significant improvements in overall survival and progression-free survival over standard chemotherapy, along with delayed worsening of pain and quality of life.

— Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 23 July 2026

Definition of delayed

Adjective

With more than 5,000 people aboard, keeping them all unified and focused as one team is difficult in a ship larger than some small towns, said Jennifer Parker, a former Royal Australian Navy officer and nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute.

— Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Also running are current board members Jessica Biggs and Jennifer Custer, Chicago Teachers Union political director Hilario Dominguez and former board appointee Sendhil Revuluri.

— Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of former

Adjective

By Wednesday, Carter said, fallen branches had punched several holes through roofs across the campus, including the administration building.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Now, several more memorials are in the works, including tributes to war veterans, Peace Corps volunteers and fallen journalists.

— Mike Stunson, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of fallen

Adjective

Julian Sevilla led off with a walk and advanced to third on an infield hit by Mateo Ruiz.

— Dennis Pope, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Apple’s iCloud sits at the base of Apple’s subscription program, offering cloud storage, backup, and advanced privacy tools.

— Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of advanced

Adverb

Court records also show a woman obtained a domestic violence restraining order against Iriarte-Valdez early last year and that he was later accused of violating it.

— Maddie White, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Castillo helped his own cause with the nice fielding play on Friedl’s attempt to reach on the bunt later in the fifth.

— LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of later

Adverb

Orange County beachgoers notice that there's a lot of stingrays lately, and lifeguards say the warm water, especially in places where the surf is relatively calm, is contributing to a dramatic increase in the number of stingray incidents.

— Michele Gile, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Consumers have lately favored premium wines, which sell in lower volumes, McMillan said.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of lately

Adjective

The closer and title track serve as a belated mission statement, at once tonally busy and capaciously arranged, as if to make the frequency spectrum itself a character in the songs.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 12 June 2026
The journey proves a belated act of self-discovery.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 17 May 2026

Definition of belated

Cite this Entry

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“Late.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/late. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of late

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adverb

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Synonyms of late

adjective

adverb

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Phrases Containing late

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Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on late

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

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A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

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Games & Quizzes