last-minute

IPA/ˌlɑːst ˈmɪnɪt/
KK[lˌæsmˈɪnət]IPA/ˌlæst ˈmɪnɪt/

last-minute — noun

1. the final brief window of time available before a deadline, departure, or event

1.nounB2
Definition

the final brief window of time available before a deadline, departure, or event — the latest point at which something can still be done.

Example

Diego always packs at the last minute before his weekend trips to the coast.

fixed phrase: at the last minute

Chiara waited until the last minute to send in her university application.

until the last minute + infinitive purpose

Common collocations
  • at the last minute
  • until the last minute
  • leave it to the last minute
  • wait until the last minute
Synonyms
  • eleventh hour

    more dramatic and idiomatic; suggests a tense, narrow escape rather than routine lateness

  • deadline

    names the cutoff point itself, not the small window just before it

Antonyms
  • well in advance

    the opposite habit — completing things with plenty of time to spare

Grammar Patterns

at the last minute

until the last minute

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the fixed prepositional phrase 'at the last minute' or 'until the last minute'. The noun rarely stands alone as a bare subject or object.

Common Mistakes

I bought my ticket in the last minute.
I bought my ticket at the last minute.
the fixed preposition is 'at', not 'in'.

last-minute — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something done late, but they differ in tone and focus. 'Last-minute' is the neutral, everyday choice — it simply names the timing without judging the result, as in 'a last-minute change of plan'. 'Eleventh-hour' is more dramatic and often appears in news writing about negotiations or rescues ('an eleventh-hour agreement'), suggesting a narrow escape from failure. 'Rushed' shifts focus from timing to the quality of the work — a 'rushed decision' may have been made days ago but without enough thought. 'Hasty' is similar to 'rushed' but carries a mild moral edge, hinting the speaker thinks more care was needed. Compare: 'a last-minute gift' is just late; 'a hasty gift' suggests carelessness.

last-minute ↗eleventh-hour ↗rushed ↗hasty ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • leave it to the last minute
  • wait until the last minute
  • do something at the last minute

Prepositions

  • at (the last minute)
  • until (the last minute)

Etymology

English

A transparent English compound from 'last' (final) and 'minute' (a small unit of time). The phrase 'the last minute' meaning 'the latest moment' is recorded in English from the 1600s. The hyphenated attributive adjective form 'last-minute' (as in 'a last-minute decision') became common in the late 1800s and early 1900s as English news writing standardised hyphenation for compound modifiers placed before nouns.