straggler -
A person or animal that is last in a group to do something or the last to get to or leave a place
While the other runners were far ahead of him, the straggler struggled at the back of the line.
noun
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laggard -
A person who makes slow progress and falls behind others
Once the runners ahead of him were specks in the distance, Terry knew he was the laggard of the race.
verb
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dillydally -
Waste time through aimless wandering or indecision
Beth and Kat dillydallied outside the store instead of going inside and buying something.
adjective
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interminable -
Endless (often used hyperbolically)
Victor dreaded going to the DMV, knowing he would spend an interminable amount of time there.
noun
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backlog -
A quantity of work that should have been done already, but has not yet been done
When Bill got back from his vacation, there was such a backlog of work to catch up with, that he had to work until 10pm every night for a week.
verb
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linger -
Stay in a place longer than necessary, typically because of a reluctance to leave
The waiter and waitress staff needed to head home, but they first had to wait for the lingering customers to leave.
adjective
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stagnant -
Showing no activity; dull and sluggish
In the last few decades, the income of the richest 10% has increased while that of the bottom 90% has remained stagnant.
verb
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balk -
To hesitate or be unwilling to continue with an idea or action.
Max had made all the plans to move from his apartment to the senior citizens home, but at the last minute, he balked and just couldn’t go through with it.
noun
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limbo -
An uncertain period of awaiting a decision or resolution; an intermediate state or condition
Because Ian had so much trouble making decisions, he often felt stuck in limbo, unsure of which direction his decisions would be taking him.
verb
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verify -
To check or prove something through evidence or investigation
The scientist ran multiple tests to verify the results of the experiment.
verb
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dally -
To do something slowly or too slowly; to waste time
Ike had dozens of reports to read through, but he decided to dally in the office for most of the day instead of doing his work.
verb
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dawdle -
To delay by taking more time than necessary
"Johnny!" his mother shouted, "we have to catch the train in 30 minutes, so would you please finish getting dressed and stop dawdling."
