LAGGING Synonyms: 167 Similar and Opposite Words

lagging 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of lagging

as in slow

moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed the lagging pace of work on the project was worrisome

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lagging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of lag

as in fading

to lose bodily strength or vigor during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in delaying

to move or act slowly the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of lagging

Adjective

Every initiative should identify its operational leading indicator, financial lagging indicator, value owner and realization mechanism. — Todd Bernson, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Just last month, Microsoft began layoffs of 20% of its Xbox employees as part of a sweeping reorganization to revive the company’s lagging games division. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026 The United States typically experiences the lagging edge of Latin American displacement waves. — Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025 So while America is most likely still a highly desirable place for all kinds of investors, from the average person putting money into a 401(k) to a professional trader, the lagging performance this year is more than your typical year. — Christian Orozco, NBC news, 12 Nov. 2025 Layer on infrastructure costs, amortization, new storage mandates, refinery retrofits for changing crude blends and the lagging effects of the LCFS credit. — Michael Mische, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025 Reporting is inconsistent and lagging. — Miami Herald, 1 July 2025

Verb

Commissioner Rob Manfred has cited lagging franchise values in baseball as a reason owners want a salary cap, which the NBA has. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Some investments meant for wealthy investors have been lagging major public indexes, of late. — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 He’s gone out of his way to appeal to longtime Bruins fans and campus groups in an effort to bolster lagging attendance at the Rose Bowl. — Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Activist investor Elliott Management has amassed a stake in French industrial giant Air Liquide and is pushing management to bolster its lagging profit margins, according to people familiar with the matter. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026 By comparison, the three-year change at the time for the NBA was 78%, followed by the NFL at 72% and MLB lagging at 22%. — Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 31 Aug. 2026 For instance, polls during Wisconsin's gubernatorial primary showed Democrat David Crowley lagging other candidates by wide margins. — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026 That gap between rising adoption and lagging deployment isn't a technology problem. — Anders Liu-Lindberg, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Over its first 10 days or so on the streamer, the new episodes have managed to rank high on Netflix’s weekly English TV list, but overall are lagging compared with Season 2. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lagging

Adjective

In fact, starting too early often has more downsides than taking it slow.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
But so far, the economy has grown at roughly 2% annually, slower than the gains during the Biden administration.

— Josh Boak, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of slow

Verb

Jacobs was playing hurt, Watson and Reed missed extended stretches with injuries, Van Ness was injured, Rashan Gary was fading and Nixon wasn’t the same player as in the season’s first half.

— Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Evolving threats While some rules travelers have lived with for decades might be fading, the aviation sector is still dealing with changing threats.

— Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of fading

Verb

In addition to suspending operations on the four existing cameras, the village is delaying installation of the other eight until concerns are addressed.

— Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 10 Sep. 2026
While researchers have made tremendous headway in diagnosing the disease early and delaying symptom onset, a cure remains elusive, and a detailed understanding of the mechanisms behind the disease still has too many gaps.

— Mike McRae September 10, New Atlas, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of delaying

Adjective

Before a night out filling your belly with local grub in the Old Port (which is a leisurely 20 minutes away on foot), hit the Five of Clubs bar for a seasonal drink like the cantaloupe- and lemon-laced Melancholia, along with half a dozen oysters.

— Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 7 Sep. 2026
In lower Manhattan and beyond — caught by paparazzi — he can be seen out and about in big sunglasses and tiny shorts, taking leisurely strolls with his fiancée, Zoë Kravitz.

— Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of leisurely

Verb

Rising operational and financing costs, weakening global demand and shifting trade dynamics ultimately led the board of directors to discontinue operations, the company said.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
An effective Houthi blockade of Bab al-Mandeb would open a new front in the war with Iran and could require US military intervention, potentially weakening Washington’s ability to keep ships moving through Hormuz.

— Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of weakening

Verb

Still, there was a cloud of public doubt lingering over the event.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
For evening observers, this apparition has been more frustrating than triumphant, with Venus lingering low in the glow of twilight instead of climbing into a commanding position.

— Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of lingering

Verb

Visiting missionaries fill tribal members’ gas tanks and replace their sagging roofs.

— Savannah Peters, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
While execs don’t publicly characterize it this way, it was motivated in part by Comcast’s sagging stock price, which reflects growing concern about pressure on broadband growth.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of sagging

Browse Nearby Words

laggers

lagging

lagniappe

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Lagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lagging. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of lagging

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

facsimile

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes