Synonyms of lag

lag 1 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

• final
• latest
• last
• closing
• latter
• concluding
• lowest
• terminal
• ultimate
• terminating
• rearmost
• penultimate
• ensuing
• eventual
• consequent
• farthest
• following
• hindmost
• succeeding
• bottommost
• crowning
• conclusive
• decisive
• extreme
• remotest
• furthest
• lowermost
• farthermost
• definitive
• furthermost
• outermost
• nethermost
• utmost
• outmost
• endmost

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• initial
• first
• beginning
• primary
• starting
• earliest
• pioneer
• original
• opening
• foremost
• maiden
• superior
• headmost
• eminent
• inaugural
• leadoff
• premier

lag

2 of 3

verb

1

as in to fade

to lose bodily strength or vigor

during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fade
• sag
• weaken
• go
• sink
• fail
• decay
• waste (away)
• droop
• languish
• wilt
• deteriorate
• wither
• flag
• emaciate
• wear out
• break down
• rot
• yield
• run down
• degenerate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recover
• rebound
• rally
• recuperate
• gain
• convalesce

2

as in to delay

to move or act slowly

the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack

Synonyms & Similar Words

• delay
• drag
• linger
• crawl
• poke
• creep
• play
• mark time
• dawdle
• loiter
• stroll
• fall behind
• hang fire
• drop behind
• lallygag
• shuffle
• mope
• stall
• tarry
• diddle
• idle
• lollygag
• lounge
• drag one's heels
• dillydally
• stagger
• shilly-shally
• dally
• take one's time
• drag one's feet
• trifle
• fool around
• fiddle (around)
• hang (around or out)
• potter (around)
• decelerate
• slow (down or up)
• putter (around)
• mess around
• loaf
• amble
• monkey (around)
• saunter
• ease
• inch
• procrastinate
• loll
• temporize
• lumber
• plod
• filibuster

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• speed
• race
• rush
• course
• rocket
• hurry
• fly
• run
• career
• tear
• hasten
• bolt
• dash
• breeze
• rip
• barrel
• scurry
• whirl
• whisk
• scoot
• zip
• hustle
• dart
• hump
• stampede
• scramble
• run
• hurtle
• accelerate
• whiz
• sprint
• whizz
• gallop
• jog
• scud
• speed (up)
• trot
• hotfoot (it)
• quicken
• catch up
• bowl
• overtake
• outrun
• outpace
• outstrip
• fast-forward

lag

3 of 3

noun

as in slowdown

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slowdown
• delay
• hesitation
• setback
• pause
• wait
• holdup
• foot-dragging
• postponement
• deferral
• detention
• deferment
• respite
• holdback
• holding pattern
• detainment
• reprieve

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rush
• haste
• dispatch
• promptness
• promptitude

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

Recent Examples of lag

Adjective

With Baja mode activated, the twin-turbo V-6 engages the turbochargers' anti-lag function, and there's negligible delay in the power delivery during the quick on/off throttle sequences common to desert running. —David Beard, Car and Driver, 20 June 2022

And some more good news for lovers of the distinctive fusillade produced by the original Impreza rally cars: this one keeps anti-lag, injecting fuel into the turbocharger to keep it spinning off-throttle. —Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 21 June 2022

Verb

Iowa lags behind many of its Big Ten competitors in providing NIL resources, which in part was because of a growing disconnect between the fans and the program. —Scott Dochterman, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025

After bird flu began to spread rapidly in dairy cattle, then infect farmworkers, the Biden administration lagged in its attempts to track and contain the virus, then largely left decisions about testing cows for the pathogen—the most effective way to track its spread—up to individual farmers. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2025

Noun

The new streaming method eliminates this lag, achieving near-real-time output. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2025

Just a second lag Previous BCI research suffered from an 8-second delay in translating brain activity to speech. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2025