Word of the Day: Lag
To lag is to be behind in time, distance, or ability. The preposition “behind” is often used with the word “lag.”
- If you don’t want to lag behind in school, you have to study.
- Carla is lagging behind in school because she did study.
- Orb lagged way behind all the other horses at the beginning of the race, but she pulled into first place by the end.
- Try not to lag behind everyone else.
- Don’t lag behind. You don’t want to get lost.
- I feel like like I’m lagging today.
The word “lag” can also be used as a noun:
- Housing prices in the United States have put a lag on the economy.
- Natalie says she has jet lag* after a long flight from Hong Kong.
The word “lagging” is an adjective:
- The rate of unemployment is a lagging indicator for the U.S. economy. People lose jobs after a recession begins, and they are able to find jobs after a recession ends.
Note: Jet lag is a feeling of fatigue and disorientation that a person gets when traveling a long distance by airplane within a short amount of time. The body hasn’t had a chance to catch up with the daily rhythms of a new location.
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with L page to see the list of all words starting with letter L. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
