laggard

[ lag-erd ]
See synonyms for laggard on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a person or thing that lags; lingerer; loiterer.

adjective
  1. moving, developing, or responding slowly; sluggish; dilatory; backward.

Origin of laggard

1
First recorded in 1695–1705; lag1 + -ard

Other words from laggard

  • lag·gard·ness, noun

Words Nearby laggard

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use laggard in a sentence

  • The U.K. originally hung back from embracing such policies, and as a result was a laggard in developing a solar industry.

    It’s Always Sunny In England | The Daily Beast | September 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • He did not succeed, for memory was laggard, or his imagination was playing him a trick.

    The Range Boss | Charles Alden Seltzer
  • He was always first in the playground and last in class; a leader in mischief, a laggard in study.

  • As a general thing the herd crowds toward the leaders, and the laggard brings up the rear alone.

    Emmy Lou | George Madden Martin
  • Frank was first on hand, as usual, but even laggard Will showed up on time, camera and all.

    The Outdoor Chums After Big Game | Captain Quincy Allen
  • How is it that the humble mill yonder, whose laggard wheel scarce stirs the water, seems to him like some old familiar thing.

    Gerald Fitzgerald | Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for laggard

laggard

/ (ˈlæɡəd) /


noun
  1. a person who lags behind

  2. a dawdler or straggler

adjective
  1. rare sluggish, slow, or dawdling

Derived forms of laggard

  • laggardly, adverb
  • laggardness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012