What does tarry mean?
Tarry is chiefly a formal or literary verb meaning to wait, linger, or delay one's departure. It often describes people who remain longer than expected, whether because they are deliberately extending their stay or because circumstances prevent them from leaving. In sentences such as “They tarried at the harbor,” the word carries a slightly old-fashioned, often evocative tone and may suggest reluctance to depart. Tarry can also be used as an adjective for something covered or smeared with tar, though tarred is now more common for this meaning. The word is useful because it combines the basic sense of remaining with a hint of delay, making it more expressive than simply saying that someone waited. Its unusual double history reflects both its association with lingering and its literal connection to tar.
To delay one's departure or action; to wait or linger.
"The travelers tarried in the village until the roads cleared."
Formal or literary; it can imply either a deliberate stay or a postponement.
Covered or smeared with tar; tarred.
"The workers repaired the tarry surface of the old roof."
Literary, archaic, or technical; tarred is more common in modern usage.
Tarry has a double life: it can mean to linger around, or, in its older adjectival sense, to be coated in sticky tar.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tarry come from?
The verb meaning “to delay” or “to wait” developed through Middle English forms from Old French tarier, ultimately connected with Latin tardus, meaning “slow” or “late.” The same broad root is reflected in English cognates such as tardy, tardiness, and retard. The adjective meaning “covered with tar” is a separate development from tar, with the suffix -y forming the adjective.
Related word forms
How tarry is actually used
As a verb, tarry is formal or literary and is less common in everyday speech than wait, stay, or linger. It can suggest either deliberate delay or an unintended postponement. The adjective sense is mainly literary, archaic, or technical; tarred is more usual in modern English.
Easily confused with tarry
Tar is the thick, sticky substance from which many roads and roofs are made, whereas tarry means to delay or linger and, as an adjective, to be covered with tar.