To move more slowly than others so you fall behind physically; to make less progress or achieve less than others.
The hiking group set off early in the morning with plenty of energy. By noon, two of the younger kids started to lag behind as the trail got steeper. The guide slowed down and waited for them to catch up before continuing to the summit.
This meaning is about physically falling behind a group because you’re moving too slowly. Imagine you’re on a group walk through the city with friends. Everyone’s walking at a normal pace, but one friend keeps stopping to look at shop windows and lagging behind the rest of the group. This is lagging behind — moving so slowly that a gap grows between you and others. You might say “stop lagging behind, we’re going to miss the train” or a parent could tell their child “don’t lag behind — stay close to us.” Or picture a long-distance race where one tired runner starts lagging behind the pack, falling further back with every step. The word suggests gradually losing pace rather than suddenly stopping. ✏️ Unlike “stop” or “stay,” lagging behind means you’re still moving — just not fast enough to keep up.
Vivid example: The school trip involved a long walk through the old town. One student kept lagging behind the group because he wanted to photograph every building. The teacher finally asked a classmate to walk with him so he wouldn’t get lost.
This meaning is about failing to keep up with others in terms of achievement, development, or results. Imagine a student who missed two weeks of school because of illness. When she comes back, she realizes she’s lagging behind her classmates in maths and science. This is lagging behind — being at a lower level of progress than others around you. You might hear “the company is lagging behind its competitors in technology” or a teacher could say “some students are lagging behind and need extra support.” Or think about a country where healthcare spending lags behind other nations, meaning hospitals are less modern and wait times are longer. The word suggests a gap that keeps growing unless something changes. ✏️ This meaning is very common in news, business, and education — anywhere people compare progress or performance.
Vivid example: The report showed that rural schools were lagging behind urban ones in exam results. Parents demanded more funding and better resources. The government promised to address the gap within three years.
Examples from the street:
“The UK is lagging behind other European countries when it comes to renewable energy.” → The UK is falling further behind and not keeping up with other European nations in this area
“Come on, stop lagging behind — we’ll miss the train!” → Hurry up, stop falling behind the rest of us — we won’t make it in time
“Sales in the Asian market are lagging behind expectations.” → Sales in Asia are performing worse than what was predicted
Lag behind as failing to keep up with others — VERY COMMON:
– lag behind (someone/something) → fail to keep up with others in progress, speed, or development
– lag behind in (something) → be slower or weaker than others in a specific area
– lag (far/well) behind → be significantly slower or further back than others
– continue/keep lagging behind → remain in a position of not keeping up over time
– lag behind the rest → fail to keep pace with everyone else in a group
Lag behind as underperforming compared to a standard:
– lag behind expectations/targets/forecasts → perform worse than what was predicted or hoped for
– lag behind the competition/rivals → fail to match what competitors are achieving
– lag behind the market/industry → not keep pace with wider trends or standards
– wages/growth lag behind inflation → pay or progress fails to increase as fast as rising prices
– risk lagging behind → be in danger of falling further back if action isn’t taken
Example Sentences
1. Many rural areas are lagging behind cities when it comes to broadband access
→ Countryside regions are failing to keep up with urban areas in terms of fast internet availability.
2. If we don’t invest in technology now, we’ll lag far behind our competitors within five years
→ If we don’t put money into modern systems immediately, we’ll fall significantly further back than our rivals within half a decade.
3. He injured his knee at the start of the race and lagged behind the other runners for the rest of it
→ He hurt his knee early on in the competition and couldn’t keep pace with the rest of the athletes from that point onwards.
4. The report found that girls’ participation in sport continues to lag behind that of boys
→ The study discovered that the number of girls taking part in physical activity still hasn’t caught up with the number of boys.
5. Our sales figures this quarter are lagging behind expectations by almost fifteen percent
→ Our revenue numbers for this three-month period are performing nearly fifteen percent worse than what we predicted.
6. Stop lagging behind — the rest of the group is already at the top of the hill
→ Stop falling behind the others — everyone else has already reached the highest point.
7. Wages have been lagging behind inflation for years, which means people can afford less than they used to
→ Pay increases have been failing to keep up with rising prices for a long time, meaning people’s purchasing power has decreased.
8. The country risks lagging behind its neighbours unless it reforms its education system
→ The nation is in danger of falling further back compared to surrounding countries unless it makes changes to the way it teaches its young people.
9. Some students inevitably lag behind the rest of the class and need extra support
→ A few learners unavoidably fail to keep pace with their classmates and require additional help.
10. The second half of the film really lags behind the first — it loses all its energy
→ The latter part of the movie fails to match the quality of the opening portion — it completely runs out of momentum.
Learner Examples
1. Students who miss too many classes often lag behind the rest of the group and find it harder to catch up later
→ Learners who are absent too frequently tend to fall behind their classmates and struggle to reach the same level afterwards.
2. Speaking skills sometimes lag behind reading and writing because students don’t get enough practice having real conversations
→ Oral ability often fails to keep pace with written skills because learners don’t spend enough time actually talking to other people.
✔ Native usage tips
– “Lag behind” and “fall behind” are very close but not identical — “fall behind” is more common in everyday speech and suggests a clearer drop from a previous position. “Lag behind” emphasises ongoing slowness — a persistent gap rather than a sudden drop. “He fell behind after his injury” (sudden) vs “the country continues to lag behind” (ongoing pattern)
– Very common in news, business, and education — you’ll hear “lag behind” constantly in reports about economies, test scores, technology adoption, and company performance. It’s the go-to phrase for describing comparative underperformance. In casual conversation, people would more likely say “we’re way behind” or “we can’t keep up”
– “Lag” also works on its own — you don’t always need “behind.” “The economy is lagging” or “growth has lagged” are perfectly natural. However, “lag behind” is much more common because it makes the comparison explicit
– Don’t confuse with “jet lag” — “lag” in “jet lag” refers to a delay in your body clock after flying across time zones. The core meaning of “lag” (delay, falling behind) is the same, but “jet lag” is a fixed compound noun, not a use of the phrasal verb “lag behind”
– “Lagging” is common in gaming and tech — when a video game or internet connection is slow, people say “it’s lagging” or complain about “lag.” This informal tech use comes from the same core meaning of delay and slowness, but it’s a separate informal register
– Degree words change the feeling — “slightly lagging behind” sounds manageable; “significantly lagging behind” sounds worrying; “far behind” or “well behind” sounds alarming. Native speakers adjust these modifiers carefully depending on how serious the gap is
✔ Similar expressions / words
– Fall behind → the most common everyday alternative; slightly more dramatic and implies a clearer moment of dropping back; works for both physical movement and abstract progress; “fall behind on payments” is much more natural than “lag behind on payments”
– Trail → suggests following at a distance behind someone or something; often used in competitions and polls; “the opposition party is trailing in the polls” means they’re behind but still competing; softer and less critical than “lagging behind”
– Drag behind → implies heaviness and reluctance; suggests someone or something is slowing the whole group down; more negative and physical than “lag behind”; “stop dragging behind” sounds more impatient than “stop lagging behind”