: lagging or tending to lag : slow especially compared to others of the same kind
a laggard pace
… we arrived in Northville, to find … the celebrated ducks playing host to a laggard flock of dark-brown Canada geese.—
The New Yorker
The New YorkerWith sugar prices weak, the stock has been laggard.—Richard B. Hoey
Richard B. Hoey
laggardly
adverb or adjective
laggardness
noun
plural laggards
: someone or something that lags or lingers : someone or something that is slow especially compared to others of the same kind
A few laggards slowed down the pace of the hike.
The company has been accused of being a laggard in adopting new technology.
They [brown bears] usually catch salmon by chasing them through shallow water and pouncing on the laggards.—National Wildlife
National WildlifeExamples of laggard in a Sentence
Adjective
I hate being stuck behind laggard motorists on the freeway.
Noun
The company has been a laggard in developing new products.
tried to spur on the laggards at the back of the line during the hike
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
Bush’s father, President George H.W. Bush, came under fire in 1992 for his laggard response to Andrew in Florida, a Category 5 hurricane with winds that reached 165 mph, shortly before his reelection contest against Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton.
—Julian Zelizer, CNN, 30 Sep. 2022
Kathleen Collins, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
The financial reports next week will decide who are the winners and who are the laggards going forward.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laggard
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Adjective
August has been particularly strong for small caps, which are up nearly 10% so far, making investors think that this laggard index may finally come back to life.
—Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
Bush’s father, President George H.W. Bush, came under fire in 1992 for his laggard response to Andrew in Florida, a Category 5 hurricane with winds that reached 165 mph, shortly before his reelection contest against Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton.
—Julian Zelizer, CNN, 30 Sep. 2022
Noun
No longer a laggard, Germany last year became the fourth-largest military spender in the world.
—Kathleen Collins, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
The financial reports next week will decide who are the winners and who are the laggards going forward.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laggard
Cite this Entry
“Laggard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laggard. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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