laggard 1 of 2

adjective

ˈla-gərd How to pronounce laggard (audio)
Definition of laggardnext
as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed I hate being stuck behind laggard drivers on the freeway

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

laggard

2 of 2

noun

as in snail
someone who moves slowly or more slowly than others tried to spur on the laggards at the back of the line during the hike

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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 laggard
Adjective
These are all new cores from ARM, and the big and little cores are 64-bit only, with only the medium cores able to run any laggard 32-bit applications. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2022 However, the American pandemic response has also been faulted for an at times laggard pace at tracking and analyzing the spread of the virus compared to its counterparts abroad. — Alexander Tin, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2022
Noun
As a team, the 76ers for decades have been an laggard in the NBA. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 24 July 2026 Others risk losing ground as AI gets trapped in pilots that never scale, widening the performance gap between early adopters and laggards – and creating a new digital divide inside every industry. — Nigel Vaz, Time, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for laggard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laggard
  1. leisurely
  2. snail
  3. slow
  4. lagging
  5. sluggish
Adjective
  • At one end sits a cherry-red grand piano, and every afternoon, the young and talented Shefin Mathew plays classic tunes, setting the mood for a leisurely Champagne brunch at the Tea Lounge.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Spending spikes were sharpest in the afternoons and on weekends, while the longest, most leisurely trips happened in the evening.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of leisurely
Noun
  • Sometime in the last million or so years, the snail had undergone a whole-genome duplication.
    — Carrie Arnold Contributing, Quanta Magazine, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Zebra sharks tend to rest on reef floors, regulating bottom-dwelling prey such as snails, clams, crabs, shrimp and small fish, an important part of maintaining thriving ecosystems.
    — Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of snail
Adjective
  • Reseeding helps block weed growth, repel lawn diseases, slow soil erosion, and strengthen growth in bare patches.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Critical thinking is based on the need for a deliberate, slow, self-regulatory pause.
    — Ted Ladd, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of slow
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
Definition of lagging
Adjective
  • Still, some analysts worry that rising device prices will cover up sluggish unit sales, a shortfall that would eventually show up in other key areas like Apple's services division.
    — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • When researchers first began tinkering with large-scale additive manufacturing, printers squeezed out material at a sluggish 20 pounds per hour.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of sluggish

Browse Nearby Words

lag
laggard
laggardly
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Cite this Entry

“Laggard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laggard. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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