laggard

American  

[lag-erd] / ˈlæg ərd /

noun

1. a person or thing that lags; lingerer; loiterer.

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adjective

1. moving, developing, or responding slowly; sluggish; dilatory; backward.

laggard British  

/ ˈlæɡəd /

noun

1. a person who lags behind

2. a dawdler or straggler

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adjective

1. rare sluggish, slow, or dawdling

Other Word Forms

• laggardly adverb
• laggardness noun

Etymology

Origin of laggard

First recorded in 1695–1705; lag ¹ + -ard

Example Sentences

The stock has been a significant tech-sector laggard over the past year and now is on track to further its underperformance.

From MarketWatch

It’s an unexpected reversal of fortunes for the iPhone maker, whose stock has otherwise underperformed over the past year due to its reputation for being an artificial-intelligence laggard.

From MarketWatch

The technology, financials, and communication services sectors, meanwhile, are the biggest laggards.

From Barron's

“In bull markets do we really want to own laggards that are coming to life?”

From Barron's

That sounds wrong because we can all think of standouts and laggards that are in the same business.

From The Wall Street Journal