of late

of late — idiom

1. during the period of time just before now, especially when talking about events,

1.慣用語B2
釋義

during the period of time just before now, especially when talking about events, changes, or habits that did not exist much earlier and often continue into the present.

例句

Amara has been feeling very tired of late, so she decided to see a doctor.

present perfect continuous + of late

The food at that restaurant has improved of late under the new chef.

present perfect + of late for a change over time

同義詞
  • recently

    neutral register; far more common in both speech and writing across all contexts

  • lately

    slightly informal; the most natural choice in everyday conversation

  • in recent times

    broader time frame than 'of late'; used for longer periods (years rather than days or weeks)

  • as of late

    a slightly more common variant of 'of late', still formal but more frequently heard in North American English

文法句型

has/have [past participle] of late

has/have been [verb-ing] of late

用法筆記

This phrase belongs to formal or literary register. In everyday conversation, speakers strongly prefer 'recently' or 'lately' ('I've been tired lately' instead of 'I've been tired of late'). 'Of late' typically appears with present perfect or present perfect continuous tenses when describing a change, trend, or state that started in the near past.

常見錯誤

❌I saw her of late' (with simple past).
✅I have seen her of late' (use present perfect).
💡'Of late' describes a period up to the present, so it requires a present perfect tense, not simple past.
❌Of late I am busy.
✅I have been busy of late.
💡Use present perfect continuous with states that are ongoing, not simple present.
❌Using 'of late' in casual conversation ('I've been into chess of late').
✅I've been into chess lately.
💡'Of late' sounds overly formal in everyday spoken English; use 'lately' or 'recently' instead.