Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lag behind

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.66 in modern English

Syllables: lag be-hind
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To fail to keep pace; to fail to keep up with one's peers; to achieve or impress less than one's peers; to move more slowly than one's peers.

Intransitive verb; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Liam was lagging behind in the race."
"Until now these for the most part have lagged far behind those of Western Europe in speed; over the longer distances average speeds well below 40 m.p.h. have been the rule."
"As the country continues to wrestle with one of the greatest upheavals to everyday life in recent memory, passenger numbers have had a turbulent 'snakes and ladders' journey - and continue to lag behind pre-pandemic levels."

Usage

Inflected Forms

lags behind (present, singular) lagging behind (participle, present) lagged behind (participle, past) lagged behind (past)

Questions

What does lag behind mean?: To fail to keep pace; to fail to keep up with one's peers; to achieve or impress less than one's peers; to move more slowly than one's peers.

How to pronounce lag behind

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lag behind”.
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