lagged

VERB

move slowly; delay

Synonyms

STRONGEST

decrease diminish fail fall off falter slacken slow trail wane

STRONG

dally dawdle dillydally drag ebb flag hobble idle inch jelly limp linger loiter lounge plod poke procrastinate retard saunter shuffle slouch stagger stay straggle tail tarry tool trudge

WEAK

be behind drag one's feet get no place fast hang back inch along lose strength put off slow up

Antonyms

STRONGEST

develop enlarge expand grow increase raise

STRONG

advance complete do finish go hasten hurry leave push rise run rush tiptoe

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Manufacturing and retail have lagged behind export-driven sectors such as energy and mining, unemployment has edged higher and real wages have recovered only gradually, leaving many Argentines still feeling squeezed despite improving headline indicators.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

Russell had not looked a contender for pole in Austria for much of the weekend, and he lagged behind Antonelli in the first two qualifying sessions.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026

As investors rotated out of stocks that have been working well this year, they appeared to shift their money into names that had lagged.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 27, 2026

While real high-tech capex was up nearly 20% in Q1 from a year ago, the rest of capex has lagged behind, which is one aspect of an “uneven” economy.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

Even in rare moments when the drama lagged, she stated, “I believe this was a script issue—not an actor issue.”

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove