Delayed vs Late

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Delayed

Top 2,000 (common)

Late

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 adjective

Most common: Late

	Delayed	Late
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //dɪˈleɪdɪd// 🇺🇸 //dɪˈleɪdɪd//	🇬🇧 /["/leɪt/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/leɪt/"]/
Meaning	Happening later than planned	After the expected time
Example	The meeting was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.	I am late for my appointment today.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	-	A1
Part of speech		adjective
Collocations	delayed flight, delayed response, delayed payment, delayed gratification	be, feel, seem, extremely, fairly, very, for, in, into, an hour, ten minutes, etc. late, leave it rather, very, etc. late
Antonyms	punctual, timely, on time	early, on time
Common mistakes	Confusing 'delayed' with 'cancelled', Using 'delayed' with the wrong subject, e.g., 'the flight delayed' instead of 'the flight is delayed', Overusing 'delayed' instead of synonyms like 'postponed'	Confusing 'late' with 'lately', which means recently., Using 'late' with the wrong tense, for example, saying 'I will be late yesterday.', Confusing 'late' with 'later' when indicating time.
Usage notes	Used in various contexts, from travel to projects. Avoid using in very informal contexts, like casual conversations.	Use 'late' to describe someone who is not on time for an event or task. Avoid using it in very formal contexts, where 'tardy' might be preferred.

See it in real clips

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

I was delayed.

Delayed

Too late.

I thought you told those fuckin' assholes never to call here this late !

- It's too late. - Please, Kay...

Too late.

I thought you told those fuckin' assholes never to call here this late !

Late

Frequently asked questions: Delayed vs Late

What's the difference between Delayed and Late?

Delayed: Happening later than planned Late: After the expected time

Which is more common: Delayed and Late?

Late is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Delayed: The meeting was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. Late: I am late for my appointment today.

Can I use Delayed and Late interchangeably?

Not always. Delayed and Late are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.