Backslide

noun, verb

noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A backward regression; a reverting back to a worse state.
  2. 2
    A dance move in which the feet are alternately slid back and the heels lifted, giving the illusion of walking forwards while actually moving backwards.
Verb
  1. 1
    To regress; to slip backwards or revert to a previous, worse state. intransitive

    "He felt better for a little while, before his condition started to backslide."

  2. 2
    drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards wordnet
  3. 3
    To shirk responsibility; to renege on one's obligations or commitments. transitive

    "Rich countries are backsliding on their commitment to agree to new WTO measures to help people in poor countries gain access to affordable medicines."

  4. 4
    To revert back into a life of sin after being saved.

Synonyms

All synonyms
lapsebackslidingcockdeclinedefectdegenerate

Example

More examples

"We've come this far, so we can't stop now. I don't want to backslide."

Etymology

From back + slide.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.