to fail to maintain a desired pace or to keep up; fall or stay behind

After five minutes of hard running, some of them began to lag.

to move or develop slowly, as toward a goal or objective, or in relation to an associated factor (often fol. by behind )

to lag behind in production.

to delay or fail in reaching full development

The factory lags regularly in making its quota.

to hang back; linger; delay

The old friends lagged because they wanted to talk some more.

to decrease, wane, or flag gradually, as in intensity

Interest lagged as the meeting went on.

Marbles . to throw one's shooting marble toward a line (lag line) on the ground in order to decide on the order of play.

Billiards, Pool . string ( def. 17b ) .

to fail to keep up with

The industry still lags the national economy.

Obsolete . to cause to lag.

a lagging or falling behind; retardation.

a person who lags behind, is the last to arrive, etc.

an interval or lapse of time

There was a developmental lag in the diffusion of ideas.

Mechanics . the amount of retardation of some motion.

Electricity . the retardation of one alternating quantity, as current, with respect to another related alternating quantity, as voltage, often expressed in degrees.

Marbles, Billiards . the act of lagging.

verb

run , rush

verb

be behind , dally , dawdle , decrease , dillydally * , diminish , drag , drag one’s feet , ebb , fail , fall off , falter , flag , get no place fast , hang back , hobble , idle , inch , inch along , jelly , limp , linger , loiter , lose strength , lounge , plod , poke , procrastinate , put off , retard , saunter , shuffle , slacken , slouch , slow , slow up , stagger , stay , straggle , tail , tarry , tool , trail , trudge , wane , dilly-dally , detain , hang up , hold up , set back , stall , delay , dillydally , fall behind , slowdown , stave , tire

noun

detainment , holdup , retardation , dawdler , dilly-dallier , lagger , lingerer , loiterer , poke , procrastinator , straggler , tarrier