1. 迟的，晚的，迟到的　 arriving, happening, etc., after the usual, arranged necessary
2. 晚期的，后期的　 happening or being towards the end of the day, life, a period, etc.
3. A 不久之前的，最近的　 happening a short time ago
4. A 已故的；前任的；刚到的，新的　 who died recently;the late changes in the recent;just arrive, new;fresh

　hour ～　晚了一小时
　～ afternoon　近傍晚（时）
　～ day　今晚
　～ hour　深夜
　～ husband　已故的丈夫
　～ month　月末
　～ season　季末
　～ summer　夏末
　the ～st news　最新消息
　the ～ president　已故总统
　～ twenties　快30岁
　～ wife　已故的妻子
　～ year　年末
　extremely ～　极晚
　～ for　…迟到
　～ in　在…方面迟了
　～ with　…迟了

　We had a late dinner last night.　昨晚我们晚餐吃得很晚。
　We had a late supper because we came home late.　由于回家晚了，我们很晚才吃晚饭。
　She returned in the late afternoon.　她下午很晚才返回来。
　The late edition of this paper appears at 3 p.m.;there is a later one at 5 p.m.　这报纸的晚版于下午三时出版，下午五时还有更晚的一版。
　It's late summer, soon the days will be cooler.　夏末了，很快天气就将变得更凉爽。
　The later arrivals had to stand in the back.　后来者只得站在后面。
　We favour late marriage.　我们提倡晚婚。
　He is in his late sixties.　他是65岁以上的人了。
　We will discuss this in more detail in a later chapter.　在后面的一章中我们将更详细地讨论这一点。
　These fruits are ripe in late autumn.　这些水果在晚秋成熟。
　He will come here in late May.　他将在5月下旬来。
　He lived alone in the big house with only the memory of his late wife for company.　他只在对亡妻怀念之情的陪伴中独居于那所大屋子里。
　The rule was set by the late king.　这是先王之制。
　The visitor is the late President, now a scholar.　这位来访者是前总统，现为学者。
　Some late news of the war has just come in.　一些有关战争的新消息刚到。
　The late storm did much harm.　不久以前的这场暴风雨造成了很大的灾害。
　This is the late changes in the government.　这是政府不久前的变动。
　Can you give me a reasonable excuse for your being so late?　你能就你的迟到给我一个合理的解释吗?
　I was ten minutes late.　我迟到了十分钟。
　Spring is late this year.　今年春天姗姗来迟。
　He was late for appointment.　他赴约迟到。
　He was too late for the train.　他太迟了，未赶上火车。
　We hurried so we would not be late for class.　我们赶快走才不至于上课迟到。
　She dislikes people who are late for work.　她不喜欢上班迟到的人。
　He was late at the office.　他上班迟到。
　The bus was late in coming.　公共汽车来晚了。
　Owing to a meeting, I was late in arriving.　由于开会，我来晚了。
　The movie was late in starting because of projection difficulties.　因放映上的故障电影开映晚了。
　We were late with lunch today.　我们今天吃午饭晚了。
　The bus is late arriving.　公共汽车晚到了。
　I was late getting up yesterday morning.　昨天早晨我起晚了。
　It's too late to go now.　现在去太迟了。
　It's never too late to mend.　改过不嫌晚。
　It's never too late to learn.　活到老，学到老。

 ♣ be late for one's own funeral
　老是迟到　be late usually
　You've missed your train four times this week—you'd be late for your own funeral.　本星期你已经有四次没赶上火车了，你老是迟到。

 ♣ late, latter
　这两个词的共同意思是“较晚的”“较后的”。其区别是：
1. late指在一个具体时间之后；而latter指一段时间或一个时期的“后一半的”“接近终了的”，还可以指在时间或顺序上的“后者的”“近来的”。例如：
　She returned in the late afternoon.　她下午很晚才返回来。
　He mentioned it in the latter part of his speech.　他在演讲的后面提到了它。
2. late只能用于时间；latter则除了可以用于时间外，还可以用于顺序。例如：
　The train was ten minutes late.　那趟火车晚了10分钟。
　Of the pig and the cow, the latter is more valuable.　猪和牛相比，后者更有价值。
3. latter只能用于名词之前作定语，而late还可用作表语。
 ♣ last, latest
　这两个词都是late的最高级。其区别是：在正式用法中， last表示“顺序上的最后”;而latest则表示“时间上的最近”。例如：
　This is his latest book, I hope it's not his last.　这是他最近的著作，我希望这不是他的最后著作。

1. Have you read Steinway's latest novel?
　［误］ 你读过斯坦韦最后的小说吗?
　［正］ 你读过斯坦韦的最新小说吗?
　［析］ late的最高级latest的意思是“最新的”“最近的”，而不是“最后的”。
2. 他在晚年退出了政界。
　［误］ He withdrew from politics in his late years.
　［正］ He withdrew from politics in his later years.
　［析］ 当表示“晚年”时，常用它的比较级later.
3. 这件事发生在60年代后期。
　［误］ It happened in late 1960s.
　［正］ It happened in the late 1960s.
　［析］ 表示“年代”的数字前面须用the，加late后the也不能省略。
4. 叫他开会不要迟到。
　［误］ Tell him not to be late at the meeting.
　［正］ Tell him not to be late for the meeting.
　他晚到公共汽车站。
　［误］ He was late for the bus stop.
　［正］ He was late at the bus stop.
　［析］ “（做某事）迟到”须用be late for，“（到某地）迟到”须用be late at.

　说“交通工具（飞机、火车等）晚点了”，可以说be late，但不如说be delayed更常见。

1. 迟，晚　 after the usual, arranged, necessary, or expected time
2. 接近末期　 far on in a period of time

　five minutes ～　迟到5分钟
　better ～ than never　晚做总比不做好

　She married late in life.　她很晚才结婚。
　He always comes to work early and leaves off late.　他总是早上班，晚下班。
　He got here five minutes late.　他晚了五分钟才到这儿。
　I went to bed late on Saturday night.　我周六晚上睡得晚。
　I saw him as late as yesterday.　我昨天还看见过他。
　They were here as late as 10 July.　他们7月10日还在这里。
　They sat up late for his return.　他们熬夜等他回来。
　He came home late at nigh.　他晚上很晚回家。
　He reached success late in life.　他大器晚成。
　Dr. Smith, late of the Maudsley Hospital, has now taken up private practice.　不久前在莫兹利医院工作的史密斯医生现在私人开业了。

 ♣ late in the day
1. 〈口〉迟了，晚了 being late
　He went to bed until very late in the day.　他很晚才上床睡觉。
2. 最后 at last
　It was the pensioner's vote late in the day that influenced the election of Mr. Sweet.　最后是领取养老金者的选票影响了斯威特先生的当选。
 ♣ of late
　近来，最近　recently
　〔说明〕 of late用于正式文体中，常与动词的现在完成时连用。
　The days have been getting warmer of late.　最近天气越来越暖和。
　I've been rather ill of late.　近来我的身体很不好。
　I haven't seen him of late.　我最近没有见到过他。
　She did commend my yellow stockings of late.　她最近确实对我的黄长袜赞许了一番。

 ♣ late, lately, of late, recently
　这是一组同根词，都表示时间的“迟”“晚”“近”。其区别是：late的意思是“迟”“晚”，反义词是early;lately的意思是“不久前”“最近”，即not long ago;of late的意思是“最近以来”，强调时间持续的过程；recently的意思是“最近”“近来”，比lately和of late更加庄重。例如：
　We went to bed late.　我们很晚才上床睡觉。
　Have you been there lately?　你近来到那里去过吗?
　He has been behaving strangely of late.　他近来的行为一直很古怪。
　I have seen him quite recently.　我最近见过他。

　汤姆上学迟到了，第一节课没赶上。
　［误］ Tom came to school lately and missed the first lesson.
　［正］ Tom came to school late and missed the first lesson.
　［析］ late的形容词形式和副词形式相同， lately并不是late的副词形式， lately的意思是“最近，近来”。

　［同义词］ adj. behind, dead, delayed, old, past, slow adv. belatedly, formerly, recently, slowly
　［反义词］ adj. early, punctual adv. early, punctually
　［词源］　古英语læt （迟，后）