last minute
last minute — noun
1. the very latest possible moment before something important must happen, when the
the very latest possible moment before something important must happen, when there is almost no time left to prepare or change plans
Mei-Ling finished her homework at the last minute and rushed to class.
prepositional phrase: at the last minute
Javier made a last-minute decision to fly to Tokyo instead of Seoul.
attributive use: last-minute + noun
The hotel cancelled our booking at the last minute, leaving us with nowhere to stay.
Yuki submitted her project proposal at the last minute and avoided the late fee.
- eleventh hour
more dramatic and formal; suggests a crisis
- last moment
interchangeable in most contexts
- nick of time
suggests something happened barely before it was too late
- well in advance
opposite idea — with plenty of time to spare
- ahead of time
emphasises early preparation
用法筆記
Common in the prepositional phrase 'at the last minute'. Also used attributively as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., 'a last-minute change', 'last-minute preparations').