laggard

1 of 2

adjective

lag·​gard ˈla-gərd How to pronounce laggard (audio)
: 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
With sugar prices weak, the stock has been laggard.Richard B. Hoey
laggardly adverb or adjective
laggardness noun

laggard

2 of 2

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

Examples 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
Adjective
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 Its laggard incubation period gives us a full 21 days to intervene between exposure and disease. Abdul El-Sayed, The New Republic, 29 Sep. 2022
Noun
Its European brands offer a variety of EVs, but its more profitable North American Ram and Jeep brands are laggards. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 4 Oct. 2024 Supply Chains Supply chains are laggards in AI adoption because most AI projects are taken on without an appropriate level of change management. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for laggard 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'laggard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1702, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1705, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of laggard was in 1702

Dictionary Entries Near laggard

Cite this Entry

“Laggard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laggard. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

laggard

adjective
lag·​gard
ˈlag-ərd
: lagging or tending to lag : slow
laggard noun
laggardly adverb or adjective

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