lagging in progress

USAGE SUMMARY

"lagging in progress" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe a situation where someone or something is falling behind in development or advancement. Example: "The project is lagging in progress due to unforeseen challenges." Alternative expressions include "falling behind" and "behind schedule."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

What's more, infrastructure issues are lagging in progress.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Your off-hand will usually lag in progress and have less balance, grace and agility than your favored hand.

WikiHow

Mr. Haddad also lashed out as Western governments that he said had "castigated" Egypt for lagging in its progress toward a modern democracy.

The New York Times

The new figures show progress still lagging in some areas.

The New York Times

The report, Accountability for Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival, highlights successes in improving maternal health and reducing child mortality in some countries, while pointing out where progress has been lagging in others.

Unicef

Despite lagging in ethnic diversity, both companies seem to be making some progress in closing the gender gap repeatedly highlighted by these diversity reports.

TechCrunch

Highway construction has been lagging in America.

Forbes

"Arizona is lagging in this.

Huffington Post

This fatalism, lack of attention, and lack of investment are the reasons behind lagging progress in reducing newborn deaths – and even slower for progress in reducing stillbirths.

Unicef

South Asia also lags in terms of the progress made in East Asia, so you can't just count on growth to lift the bottom billion out of poverty.

BBC

Despite China's progress, it lags in guidance and control, turbine engines, machine tools, diagnostic and forensic equipment and computer-aided design and manufacturing.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair this phrase with a specific subject like 'infrastructure', 'reforms' or 'education' to provide clear context on what is falling behind.

Common error

Writers sometimes mistakenly say 'lagging behind in progress', which can be redundant since 'lagging' already implies being 'behind'. Stick to "lagging in progress" to describe the state of the task itself, or "lagging behind" to compare the subject to a competitor or a benchmark.

Linguistic Context

In the context provided by Ludwig, "lagging in progress" functions as a present participle phrase that usually acts as a predicate adjective following a linking verb. It describes the ongoing state of a subject that is failing to advance at the desired pace.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

15%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Social Media

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

According to Ludwig AI, the phrase "lagging in progress" is a grammatically correct and effective way to describe stagnation or delays. While exact matches are relatively rare, the phrase and its close variations are widely accepted in high-level discourse, particularly within the realms of global health, economics and infrastructure development. It is most effective when used to characterize the slow advancement of systems or projects. Writers should ensure they are not using it redundantly and should feel confident using it in formal and professional settings to highlight areas that require more investment or attention.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

falling behind

More informal and general than the original phrase

lagging behind

A very common variant that emphasizes the position relative to a leader or goal

behind schedule

Specifically refers to time-based delays rather than general development

slow progress

Focuses on the speed of movement rather than the deficit

trailing in development

More formal and often used in industrial or technological contexts

stalling in growth

Suggests a complete stop in advancement rather than just a delay

underperforming

Implies a failure to meet expectations or standards

missing targets

Used when there are specific milestones that haven't been reached

losing momentum

Suggests that progress was previously faster but is now slowing down

dragging

Highly informal way to describe something moving very slowly

FAQs

What does "lagging in progress" mean?

The phrase "lagging in progress" means that something is developing more slowly than expected or is failing to keep up with a required timeline or standard.

Is it better to say "lagging in progress" or "lagging behind"?

It depends on your focus. Use "lagging in progress" to describe the internal state of a project. Use "lagging behind" if you are comparing it to something else, such as a competitor or another country.

Can I use "lagging in progress" in a professional email?

Yes, it is perfectly appropriate for professional contexts. For example: 'The implementation of the new software is unfortunately "lagging in progress" due to technical hurdles'.

What is a more formal synonym for "lagging in progress"?

You can use "experiencing delays in development" or "trailing established benchmarks" for a more clinical or technical tone.