LAG Synonyms: 195 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'lag' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of lag are dally , dawdle , delay , loiter , and procrastinate . While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others. // lagging behind in technology

Q: When might 'dally' be a better fit than 'lag'?

Although the words dally and lag have much in common, dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary. // stop dallying and get to work

Q: When is 'delay' a more appropriate choice than 'lag'?

In some situations, the words delay and lag are roughly equivalent. However, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure). // we cannot delay any longer

Q: How do 'loiter' and 'dawdle' relate to one another, in the sense of 'lag'?

Both loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time. // loitered at several store windows // children dawdling on their way home from school

Q: In what contexts can 'procrastinate' take the place of 'lag'?

While in some cases nearly identical to lag , procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy. // procrastinates about making decisions

lag 1 of 3

verb

Definition of lag

as in to fade

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to delay

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lag

2 of 3

adjective

as in final

following all others of the same kind in order or time we're now in the lag end of the project

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lag

3 of 3

noun

as in slowdown

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lag different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of lag are dally, dawdle, delay, loiter, and procrastinate. While all these words mean "to move or act slowly so as to fall behind," lag implies failure to maintain a speed set by others.

lagging behind in technology

When might dally be a better fit than lag?

Although the words dally and lag have much in common, dally suggests delay through trifling or vacillation when promptness is necessary.

stop dallying and get to work

When is delay a more appropriate choice than lag?

In some situations, the words delay and lag are roughly equivalent. However, delay usually implies a putting off of something (such as a beginning or departure).

we cannot delay any longer

How do loiter and dawdle relate to one another, in the sense of lag?

Both loiter and dawdle imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but dawdle more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time.

loitered at several store windows

children dawdling on their way home from school

In what contexts can procrastinate take the place of lag?

While in some cases nearly identical to lag, procrastinate implies blameworthy delay especially through laziness or apathy.

procrastinates about making decisions

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 lag

Verb

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 But the industry lags overall due to a constitutional limit on the use of force for only its own self-defense. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Adjective

However, his skill level and feel lag way behind his athletic indicators. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 20 June 2026 Get worse over the next few weeks, but that still – that has a lag effect. — CBS News, 4 May 2026

Noun

But those earnings are paid out on a 60-day lag, limiting Baumeyer’s ability to use the income to scale his business up. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 26 Aug. 2026 According to Jason Kerr, president of Intelligent Service, high humidity in your home may be the result of some lag in upkeep. — Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lag

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lag

Verb

As his memories begin to fade, he's left in a panic, not wanting to lose everything.

— Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
It was designed to give Hawthorne’s fading downtown a boost with three major department stores — JCPenney in addition to the Broadway and Montgomery Ward — as well as numerous shops and a movie theater.

— Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of fade

Verb

During the first quarter of this year, around $130 billion worth of data center projects were blocked or delayed due to local opposition, according to a report from Data Center Watch.

— Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
The classroom pipeline feeds directly into Russia’s conscription system, which requires all 18-year-old men to complete one year’s military service, though in reality many avoid or delay being drafted.

— Bloomberg, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of delay

Adjective

In the final episode of her new Netflix reality show Earle Meets World, which aired in full on Friday, the 25-year-old shared a glimpse of what was happening behind the scenes after Cooper called her out in a TikTok post on April 13.

— Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2026
Steinem spent her final years continuing to write, her representatives noted Thursday, including her forthcoming book An Unexpected Life.

— Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of final

Noun

Though job creation held positive, August was the smallest gain since January and reflective of a broader slowdown in the labor market.

— Jeff Cox, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
What remains of the rock by this stage shrinks rapidly, also slowing significantly, with this slowdown occurring faster if the rock has fragmented more successfully.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of slowdown

Verb

Beneath that sits a high-density support-foam foundation designed to limit sagging and compression over time, along with a textured anti-slip base to reduce movement on the bed frame.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2026
Which is why her character flicks through YouTube plastic surgery videos and stares at older women on the bus, comparing her wrinkles and checking her neck for any signs of sagging.

— Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of sag

Verb

Patterson, who turns 27 on Tuesday, has experience at guard and center, and the 49ers needed a backup at both spots considering Toth’s lingering concussion symptoms.

— Matt Barrows, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Inside Fort Worth's Cowboy Coliseum, a historic 1908 indoor rodeo venue in the heart of the city's famous Stockyards, the gunpowdery smell of pyrotechnics lingers in the air.

— Christine Lennon, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of linger

Adjective

The video is the latest in a lengthy stream of controversies the probation department has faced in recent years.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2023
The American Western drama is the latest of Taylor Sheridan's ever-growing Yellowstone franchise surrounding the legacy of the Dutton family from west of the Mississippi.

— Sabrina Park, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 Feb. 2023

Definition of latest

Noun

Someone may be ready to build with you, but hesitation, mixed signals, or too many moving pieces could slow the process down.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
But the full game tape shows those are few and far between — his hesitation and questionable decisions make the lowlights a near-constant.

— Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of hesitation

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ladyships

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Style

“Lag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lag. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of lag

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adjective

noun

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