belated
be·lat·ed/bəˈleɪtɪd/adjective, verb
belated is spelled B-E-L-A-T-E-D: 7 letters and 3 syllables (be·lat·ed). It appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,214th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, belated means “Affected or overtaken by the lateness of the time; hence, synonym of benighted (“overtaken by night; caught out by oncoming night before reaching…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in belated?
| Letters | 7: B-E-L-A-T-E-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: be·lat·ed |
| In writing | 1.0 times per million words; the 28,214th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is belated?
Belated appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,214th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce belated?
- UK /bɪˈleɪtɪd/
- US /bəˈleɪtɪd/
- US /bi-/
Belated has 3 syllables, split be·lat·ed in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-belated.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-belated.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with belated?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as belated from its last stressed vowel (/eɪtɪd/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of belated
- more belated comparative
- most belated superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does belated mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Affected or overtaken by the lateness of the time; hence, synonym of benighted (“overtaken by night; caught out by oncoming night before reaching one's destination”).
- 2
Later in relation to the proper time which something should have happened; specifically, delayed beyond the proper time.
A belated happy birthday to you!
- 3
Slow to learn or to adopt a trend; hence, lacking education or sophistication; benighted, unenlightened, unsophisticated.
verb
- 1
simple past and past participle of belate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Belated in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense later in relation to the proper time which something should have happened:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | tardif |
| German | nachträglich, säumig, verspätet |
| Portuguese | atrasado, tardio |
| Spanish | serondo, tardío |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does belated come from?
From belate (verb) + -ed (suffix forming adjectives, and past tense and past participle forms of regular verbs).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).