Better Late Than Never - Idiom of the Day for IELTS Speaking & Writing

Prity Mallick

5 min read

Updated On Jan 12, 2026

Learn to use the idiom ‘Better Late Than Never’ in your IELTS Speaking & Writing sections seamlessly. Explore the meaning, synonyms, list of scenarios to use, exercise, and more to improve your lexical resources band scores.

Better Late Than Never - Idiom of the Day for IELTS Speaking & Writing

What is the Meaning of ‘Better Late Than Never’?
Scenarios to Use ‘Better Late Than Never’ in IELTS Speaking & Writing Sections
Exercise on the Idiom ‘Better Late Than Never’

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Using advanced vocabulary words would display a higher proficiency level as you use the idiom ‘Better Late Than Never’ in your answers. In order to achieve a band 8+ score in the IELTS Speaking & Writing sections, you should grasp the meaning, context, and correct usage of the term. This will help you to demonstrate procrastination and in topics related to personal lives, learning processes, and gradual transformations. Incorporation of this idiom in discussions about education, career growth, health, lifestyle, and social changes would show lexical flexibility. By consistently using it appropriately during your preparation for the IELTS Exam, you can make their ideas more fluent while sounding natural.

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What is the Meaning of ‘Better Late Than Never’?

Before you include this idiom in your answers, it is necessary to first get familiar with its appropriate usage. In this way, you can improve your control over the IELTS Vocabulary words by first grasping its meaning. This will help you recognize the contexts in which you need to use it in a subtle way for the IELTS Speaking and Writing sections. The table below mentions the meaning, synonyms, and example sentences related to the idiom ‘Better Late Than Never’.

Topic	Description
Better Late Than Never	Idiom
Definition	Something that can delay than not happening or occurring at all or doing something late than not doing it at all.
Synonyms	About time, At last, Delayed but not denied
Origin	The idiom ‘Better Late than never’ originated as an expression used in Latin, ‘Livy IV.ii potius sero quam nunquam,’ and in the mid 15th century, the Idiom ‘Better Late than Never’ was used commonly.
Example	For IELTS Speaking : My grandmother didn’t know how to write until she was 20 years old, but better late than never, she learned to read and write. We were waiting for the bus for over 2 hours, but it showed up when we were about to leave; I guess it’s better late than never. For IELTS Writing : It takes a person around five years to crack the UPSC exams, which many believe is better late than never. Due to food delivery apps, individuals can order at the last moment to get items delivered which is better late than never.

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Scenarios to Use ‘Better Late Than Never’ in IELTS Speaking & Writing Sections

It is crucial to know when to use this idiom since the contextual usage would make you sound fluent rather than memorised or forced. By recognizing the situations and topics in the IELTS Speaking & Writing sections, you can use the expression to make your answers stronger with a greater level of language control. Below are the two scenarios where you can use the idiom ‘Better Late Than Never’.

Scenario 1:

Rose: My sister’s birthday was a week ago, should I give her something now?

John: Yeah, Sure, it’s better late than never, right?

Rose: Yes! That’s true.

The phrase is rightly applied to this conversation since it makes Rose reassured that a gift given later is still better than gifting nothing at all. John uses this expression to support her and eliminate her doubt about not being able to give the gift on the actual day. This matches the informal and common nature of the situation with a positive attitude towards a delay in action.

Scenario 2:

Karan: Come on, Raj, let’s go trekking

Raj: No! I am scared of heights.

Karan: Is it kind of a phobia?

Raj: Nothing like that. Though I wanted to trek, I just couldn’t do it. I’m over 50 now.

Karan: That’s okay, Raj. But it’s always better late than never, my friend.

This idiom is used to provide encouragement to Raj even though he is hesitant. Karan used the expression to convey the feeling of reassurance even if Raj thinks that he has already missed the most desirable time. This discusses the person to take action instead of demotivating him, giving the tone a supportive and positive attitude. This fits the everyday conversation when the topics of age, fears, or personal challenges are being discussed.

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Exercise on the Idiom ‘Better Late Than Never’

Remember that you must recognize the importance of the expression and the right context for its use. With the help of consistent and specific practice, the idiom can be incorporated in your vocabulary effortlessly which will make you sound more fluent in the exam. Let's look at the exercise below to use it in context.

Select the correct idiom from the options and fill in the blanks.

Under the weather	Better Late Than Never	Break the ice
Call it a day	Once in a blue moon	On cloud nine

1 He rarely eats fast food and only does so __________________________ when he is on a trip.

2 I couldn’t attend the class today because __________________________.

3 Getting a first class in exams placed him __________________________ for a week.

4 The interviewer initiated a casual question to __________________________.

5 Despite the fact that she had missed the first week of preparation, she kept telling herself that __________________________.

6 The teacher said it was time to __________________________ after writing three answers in a row.

Answer to the Exercise on the Idiom ‘Better Late Than Never’

Now, it is crucial to check the right answers and compare them with your answers. This will help you to incorporate the expression in a natural and confident way. Note the areas of improvement so that you enhance your lexical resource and get a higher IELTS Band Score.

Once in a blue moon
Under the weather
On cloud nine
Break the ice
Better Late Than Never
Call it a day

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Learning and mastering expressions such as ‘Better Late Than Never’ would help showcase your fluency and expressiveness for the Speaking and IELTS Writing sections. Each new idiom would elevate your lexical resource and take you one step closer to a higher band score. With consistent practice, you can learn how to use this expression to your advantage.

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