Standard Lemma guide

backslider

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈbakslaɪdə/
  • US: /ˈbækslaɪdɚ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A recidivist; one who backslides, especially in a religious sense; an apostate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She married him thinking to change his ways, and for a while he got religion, but he was ever a backslider; she soon began finding bottles stashed about the house.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who will not do his work or shoulder his responsibilities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Ireland

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

someone who lapses into previous undesirable patterns of behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: recidivist, reversionist

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wrongdoer, offender

History

Etymology

From backslide + -er.