lag
lag — verb
- lagpresent simple I / you / we / they
- lagshe / she / it
- laggedpast simple
- lagging-ing form
1. to stay behind other people in movement or progress because you are not moving q
to stay behind other people in movement or progress because you are not moving quickly enough
Rohan kept stopping to take photos, so he soon lagged behind the rest of the group.
lag behind + noun phrase
The company's sales have been lagging since their main competitor launched a cheaper product.
intransitive: no object needed after 'lag'
Rin was lagging during the final kilometre of the race because of a sore ankle.
The country's economy lags far behind its neighbours in terms of new technology.
If a student lags behind in reading, the teacher offers extra help after school.
- fall behind
more common in everyday speech; interchangeable in most contexts
- trail
suggests being measurably behind in a race or competition
- dawdle
suggests a deliberate slowness caused by lack of effort
文法句型
lag + (behind + noun phrase)
用法筆記
Frequently appears with 'behind' to specify what or whom someone is failing to keep up with.
常見錯誤
2. to respond with a noticeable delay, used when a computer, video game, or interne
to respond with a noticeable delay, used when a computer, video game, or internet connection is slow to react to what a user does
Nora's laptop lagged badly when she tried to edit a large video file.
subject = computer; no object needed
The game started to lag every time too many players appeared on screen at once.
Felipe hates playing online shooters on a connection that lags every few seconds.
When Maja opened ten browser tabs at once, her computer began to lag noticeably.
Adina restarted her router because the video call kept lagging and freezing.
- run smoothly
to operate without delay
文法句型
lag (no object); noun subject = computer, game, connection
用法筆記
Common in gaming and tech contexts. The subject is almost always a machine (computer, console, game app) or a connection, not a person.
常見錯誤
3. to cover pipes, tanks, or similar surfaces using a thick insulating wrap so that
to cover pipes, tanks, or similar surfaces using a thick insulating wrap so that heat is not lost or water does not freeze
Before winter arrived, the landlord lagged all the outdoor pipes with foam insulation.
transitive: object = pipes, material = with + insulation
The plumber recommended that we lag the hot water tank to save on energy bills.
Yasmin spent the afternoon lagging the loft pipes to prevent them from bursting in the cold.
The contractor used a special rubber material to lag the heating ducts in the basement.
If you do not lag the exposed pipes, they may freeze when the temperature drops below zero.
文法句型
lag + noun phrase (pipes, tanks, ducts)
用法筆記
Most often used in DIY/home-maintenance contexts. The object is typically a type of pipe, tank, or duct. The insulating material is introduced with 'with'.
4. to put someone in prison or arrest them — used mainly in informal British Englis
to put someone in prison or arrest them — used mainly in informal British English
Under the old law, pickpockets could be lagged for stealing even small amounts of money.
passive: be lagged for + crime
The detective was famous for lagging the most notorious gangsters in the city.
Shirin read about a criminal who had been lagged for selling fake identity documents.
In the nineteenth century, many petty thieves were lagged and sent to colonies far away.
- release
to set someone free from prison
文法句型
lag + noun phrase (person); usually passive: be lagged
用法筆記
Historically common in British slang but now considered dated. The passive form ('be lagged') is more frequent than the active form.
常見錯誤
5. in golf, to send a ball a long way across the putting surface using a soft strok
in golf, to send a ball a long way across the putting surface using a soft stroke, trying to make it stop close to the hole
Dewi lagged her ball to within two metres of the pin on the eighteenth hole.
transitive: lag + ball + distance phrase
Jiwoo carefully lagged the putt up the slope, hoping it would stop near the cup.
Instead of trying to sink the long putt, Hugo chose to lag it close for an easy second shot.
Professional golfers practise lagging putts from thirty feet or more to avoid three-putting.
Lisa lagged her approach shot perfectly, leaving herself a short tap-in for par.
文法句型
lag + ball/putt (transitive); lag up to + hole (intransitive)
用法筆記
Golf-specific. Contrasts with a regular putt: a 'lag putt' prioritises distance control over sinking the ball. Used both transitively ('lag the ball') and intransitively ('lag up to the hole').
常見錯誤
lag — noun
- lagsingular
- lagsplural
1. a period of time that separates two connected events
a period of time that separates two connected events
There is usually a time lag of two to three days between ordering online and receiving the package.
time lag + of + duration + between X and Y
The lag between the lightning and the thunder told us the storm was about five kilometres away.
Economists study the lag between changes in interest rates and their effect on consumer spending.
A short lag between taking the medicine and feeling better is completely normal.
文法句型
(a / the) lag + (in / between) + noun phrases
用法筆記
Often paired with 'time' to form the compound 'time lag'. The preposition 'between' introduces the two related events, while 'in' introduces a single process ('a lag in production').
常見錯誤
2. a delay that happens when a computer, video game, or internet connection reacts
a delay that happens when a computer, video game, or internet connection reacts slowly to what a user does
The constant lag during the multiplayer match made the game almost unplayable.
uncountable: 'constant lag' — no article
Rohan adjusted his graphics settings to reduce the lag when playing on his old laptop.
High lag in video calls makes it hard to have a natural conversation with colleagues.
Adina bought a faster network cable to fix the lag she experienced during online classes.
Game developers are working to minimise lag so that players' inputs appear instantly on screen.
- smooth performance
operation without noticeable delay
文法句型
(no article / some / less) lag; countable in specific contexts: 'a slight lag'
用法筆記
In computing, 'lag' is most often uncountable ('causes lag'), but a countable use is possible when referring to a specific instance ('a slight lag when loading the map').
3. a prisoner, especially one who has served several sentences or been jailed repea
a prisoner, especially one who has served several sentences or been jailed repeatedly in the past
The prison had a special programme to help old lags find jobs after their release.
'old lag' — set phrase meaning repeat offender
A group of young offenders shared a cell with several experienced lags.
Some of the lags in the workshop had been in and out of prison for twenty years.
The charity helps former lags find housing and apply for jobs after their sentences end.
- convict
formal; not slang
- prisoner
neutral; anyone in prison
- recidivist
formal; specifically someone who reoffends
文法句型
a/an/the + lag; often 'old lag'
用法筆記
British slang, now somewhat dated. The compound 'old lag' (a long-term or repeat offender) is more common than 'lag' used alone.
lag — adjective
- lagpositive
- laggercomparative
- laggestsuperlative
1. at the very back or end of a group; furthest behind
at the very back or end of a group; furthest behind
In old diaries, 'lag' sometimes meant the last person in a line or the one furthest behind.
used attributively before a noun; historical register
A lag sheep, in older English farming, was simply the animal that walked at the back of the flock.
Old military records use the phrase 'the lag company' to describe the unit at the very rear of an army.
In some English dialects, the youngest child in a family is still informally called the lag child.
文法句型
used before a noun; no comparative forms
用法筆記
Very rare in modern English, mostly found in older or regional British writing. The more common word is 'last' or 'hindmost'.