Behindhand

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Being in a state of tardiness regarding responsibilities or tasks
2. Existing later than expected or required, particularly when compared to a timeline
3. Not meeting due dates for obligations and responsibilities ; happening later than scheduled or anticipated

Etymology: "Behindhand" is a plain compound: "behind" joined to "hand," with the two words fused into one. The original sense is literal. "Hand" here is the ordinary body part, and "behind" supplies the spatial idea of being in the rear, so to be behindhand was to be positioned toward the back. The sense of lagging came from that picture. A person who was behind in a task, a payment or a schedule was, in a sense, trailing the others. Over time the spatial meaning faded and the word settled into the sense of being late or in arrears, so that a debt could be behindhand, a harvest could be behindhand, and a train could be behindhand.

Synonyms: late, delayed, tardy, overdue, behind

Antonyms: punctual, early, on time, prompt, ahead