atraso

delay

noun ah-TRAH-soh Rare

Also means

backwardness

Usage Note

Atraso comes from the verb atrasar ('to delay, to set back') and covers both a specific delay in time (el atraso del tren = 'the train's delay') and the broader concept of underdevelopment or backwardness (atraso económico). The plural atrasos is used for arrears or a backlog of pending tasks. Distinguish from retraso, which is nearly synonymous but more common in Spain for punctuality contexts.

Examples

"El vuelo llegó con dos horas de atraso."

Natural Translation

The flight arrived two hours late.

Literal Translation

The flight arrived with two hours of delay.

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