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

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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

However, the Scar 18 came in last at 100% brightness, lagging behind its competitors at just 506 nits. — Marshall Honorof, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 Shares are up more than 8% this year, lagging the more than 11% gain in the S & P 500. — Michael Bloom, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026 With just under two weeks to go, the movement has struggled to find a financial or messaging foothold, with some candidates lagging behind in the polls. — Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026 Add in processor-intensive camera features like Smart Take, which automatically hits the shutter button, and the phone gets hot enough to start noticeably lagging after a while. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026 There are concerns the next edition in 2027 could be moved from co-hosts Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda due to infrastructure projects reportedly lagging behind. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 China’s economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter thanks to the country’s powerful export machine, with domestic consumption still lagging and the authorities showing little interest in fiscal stimulus. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026 In a debate earlier this week, Bass highlighted her accomplishments in paving the way for new affordable housing, while Raman asserted that housing production is still lagging and Bass isn’t doing enough. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Experts attribute that increase partly to issues such as rising healthcare costs, lagging Social Security benefits and insufficient retirement savings. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lagging

Adjective

The song develops into a slow-burn, lighters-up jam, its long, unhurried coda like getting lost in a sea of echoing, overlapping memories.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Protein and fiber slow digestion, supporting satiety and healthy blood sugar regulation.

— Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of slow

Verb

Fighting autocracy and inequality The Ford Foundation frames its new plan as its answer to rising autocracy, widening inequality, and fading public trust.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
In Brazil, Lula also faces fading support even among parts of his base as the economic backdrop looks different from the one that accompanied his first presidency.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of fading

Verb

The significance of the phase 3 data extends beyond delaying a recurrence, doctors said.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
According to the county staff report, delaying repairs for a formal bidding process could increase the risk of additional sinkholes, ground collapse and property damage.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of delaying

Adjective

Guests also have access to a sunny terrace and a shared pool, ideal for leisurely afternoons.

— Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
But for me the wow factor started weeks out with a leisurely but extremely detailed call with a kindly staffer who took down all of our details.

— Kate Berlant, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of leisurely

Verb

OpenAI disclosed a pair of safety incidents that involved AI agents weakening their safety monitoring systems during internal coding tasks.

— Emma Roth, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, weakening brand loyalty threatens an advantage established manufacturers have relied on for decades.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of weakening

Verb

Mostly hidden from our daily view, the machinery for making white meat—a chemical and metabolic system of planetary scope—will be a lingering trace of human presence in the annals of Earth history.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
By Saturday morning, lingering snow is likely at high elevations in Yosemite National Park and near Mammoth Mountain.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of lingering

Verb

China’s surging shipments are much more than just surplus production, the difference between what comes out of Chinese factories and what can be sold domestically in a sagging economy.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
His thighs and sagging belly wrap tightly around the man’s head; his hands clutch at a long golf club and the scales of justice.

— Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of sagging

Browse Nearby Words

laggers

lagging

lagniappe

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Lagging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lagging. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lagging

adjective

verb

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