1 B1 neutral
To move or walk more slowly than others, causing a gap to form.
"The younger children began to lag behind as the group hiked up the steep mountain path."
inseparable
lag behind
B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
To move, progress, or develop more slowly than others or than expected; to fail to keep pace.
In plain English
To be slower than other people or things, or to not make as much progress as you should.
What does "lag behind" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
To fail to progress or develop as quickly as others, especially in business, education, or technology.
"The country's manufacturing sector continues to lag behind its Asian competitors."
“
We cannot afford to lag behind in the development of clean energy.
— Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, 2011
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
'Lag' means to move slowly, so 'lag behind' transparently means to move slowly while falling behind.
Actually means
To be slower than other people or things, or to not make as much progress as you should.
Usage tip
Used both literally (physical movement) and figuratively (progress, development, sales figures, etc.). Very common in news and business contexts. The object of comparison is usually introduced with 'behind' itself or in context.
Words that pair with "lag behind"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
competitors peers schedule targets economy rest
How to conjugate "lag behind"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
lag behind
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lags behind
he/she/it
Past simple
laged behind
yesterday
Past participle
laged behind
have + pp
-ing form
laging behind
continuous
Hear "lag behind" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "lag behind" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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