What does “it’s about time” mean in English?

When someone says “it’s about time,” they are not talking about the hour. They mean: this took too long, and I am glad it is finally happening. There is a mix of frustration and relief. People use it when something good arrives after a long wait — the tone says the wait was too long.

In the clip, a man at the famous Versailles restaurant in Miami’s Little Havana reacts to news of the Raul Castro indictment: “It’s about time that someone gets held responsible for an act like that.” He is not saying “now is the right moment.” He is saying this justice should have come many years ago. The phrase works in almost any situation where a long wait finally ends: - “You cleaned your room? It’s about time!” - “They finally fixed that road. It’s about time.” The tone is a little sharp — it says the good thing happened, but it took too long. Use it with friends or in casual talk. It can sound rude in formal situations, especially to someone in a position of authority.