英和和英

名詞

the last minute

1. (idiomatic) An arbitrary (non-specific) point in time, too close to a deadline to reasonably begin a critical task.

   I like to do everything at the last minute. It does tend to make me late for things, though.

   • 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in AV Club‎, archived from the original on 8 March 2013:

     “Clown Without Pity,” as the segment is called, opens with Homer forgetting Bart’s birthday and jetting off at the last minute (or rather considerably after the last minute) to pick him up a present. Alas, Homer has the questionable judgment to go gift-shopping at House Of Evil, an establishment that bills itself as “Your one stop evil shop.” That should be a bit of a warning, as is the establishment’s name.

派生語

• at the last minute
• lastminute.com
• lastminutitis

形容詞

last minute (comparative more last minute, superlative most last minute)

1. (idiomatic) Very close to a deadline.

   That last minute revision really paid off in the exam!

   • 2009, Hank Stuever, Tinsel: A Search for America's Christmas Present, page 211:

     “In ten years, this is the most last-minute holiday season that we have ever seen,” a Citigroup analyst, Deborah Weinswig, tells ABC News.

   • 2020 August 15, Gavin Newsham, “How the Secret Service protects the president’s golf game”, in New York Post‎, archived from the original on 17 August 2020:

     “It can be exhilarating but it can be boring, too,” he said. “I preferred it when it was more last minute, when the adrenaline kicked in.”

参考

• eleventh hour