Idiom Topics
The Ubiquitous Essentials
10- On the other hand
- At the end of the day
- In the long run
- Bear in mind
- A piece of cake
- Keep an eye on
- Out of the blue
- Rule of thumb
- So far, so good
- Behind the scenes
Everyday Casual & Workplace
10- Under the weather
- Call it a day
- Up in the air
- Wrap your head around
- Break the ice
- Get out of hand
- Go the extra mile
- Touch base
- Hit the nail on the head
- Cut corners
Problem Solving & Interaction
10- See eye to eye
- Read between the lines
- Take it with a grain of salt
- Get the hang of it
- Give the benefit of the doubt
- The elephant in the room
- Hit the ground running
- Play it by ear
- Bite the bullet
- Sit on the fence
Decisions & Perspectives
9- Jump on the bandwagon
- Cross that bridge when we come to it
- The best of both worlds
- A blessing in disguise
- Once in a blue moon
- Pull someone's leg
- Miss the boat
- Better late than never
- Get your act together
Colorful & Traditional
10- Spill the beans
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Bite off more than you can chew
- Go back to the drawing board
- Barking up the wrong tree
- Actions speak louder than words
- A penny for your thoughts
- Break a leg
- Hit the sack
- Beat around the bush
Academic & Formal Discourse
10- Bear fruit
- Pave the way
- Shed light on
- Go hand in hand
- Tip the scales
- Fly in the face of
- Bring to the table
- Turn a blind eye
- Draw a blank
- State of the art
Emotions & Reactions
10- Over the moon
- Down in the dumps
- On edge
- Blow off steam
- Keep your cool
- Drive someone up the wall
- On cloud nine
- A weight off my shoulders
- At your wits' end
- Thrilled to bits
Effort, Success, & Failure
10- Start from scratch
- Pass with flying colors
- Fall flat
- Go down the drain
- Keep your head above water
- Pay off
- Throw in the towel
- Make headway
- Uphill battle
- Back to square one
Time, Speed, & Urgency
10- Beat the clock
- At the eleventh hour
- Around the clock
- In the nick of time
- Drag your feet
- Time flies
- Make up for lost time
- Call time on
- Ahead of the curve
- On the spur of the moment
Resources, Money, & Value
10- Make ends meet
- Foot the bill
- Break the bank
- Tighten your belt
- Bang for your buck
- A drop in the ocean
- Make a killing
- On a shoestring budget
- Worth your weight in gold
- Pay top dollar
Better late than never
Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Better late than never" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourDecisions & Perspectives collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.
Better late than never
It is better for someone to arrive or for something to happen delayed than for it to not happen or arrive at all.
History & Origin
The phrase traces back to ancient classical literature, with an early variation recorded by the Roman historian Livy as 'potius sero quam nunquam'. It later entered the English literary canon through Geoffrey Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales' in the late 14th century. Over the centuries, it evolved from a literal statement about travel and physical arrival into a generalized expression for delayed achievements.
Examples
I apologize for the delay in sending over the Q2 marketing report; my computer crashed yesterday morning, but better late than never!
Mark finally apologized for forgetting my birthday last month. I guess it's better late than never.
While the government's policy intervention was criticized for its sluggish implementation, environmental scientists noted that it was better late than never to curb carbon emissions.
After a grueling five-year development cycle plagued by production delays, the studio finally released the highly anticipated video game yesterday—proving it is better late than never for eager fans.
We are gathered here to honor Sarah's graduation, an milestone she achieved at age fifty, demonstrating to us all that it is truly better late than never.
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?
A. The wedding was scheduled for 2:00 PM, and because the bride arrived exactly on time, everyone said it was better late than never.
B. She finished her university degree at the age of forty-five after pausing her education to raise a family, proving that it is better late than never.
C. He completely forgot to buy a ticket for the concert, so he stayed home and missed the entire show, which was better late than never.
D. If you want to arrive safely, you should drive much faster because it is always better late than never on the highway.