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 on, that he had to work until 10pm every night for a month to catch up.
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noun
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.
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verb
futz -
Waste time; idle or busy oneself aimlessly
Instead of doing his homework, Charlie futzed around on Facebook all day.
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noun
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.
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adjective
stagnate -
Cease developing; become inactive or dull
The stagnating economy had left workers nervous about keeping their jobs.
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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.
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verb
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."
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verb
dillydally -
Waste time through aimless wandering or indecision
Beth and Kat dillydallied outside the store instead of going inside and buying something.
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verb
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.
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adjective
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Frustrating -
Causing feelings of irritation or annoyance due to difficulties, obstacles, and lack of progress.
It’s so frustrating when the internet keeps disconnecting in the middle of an important video call.
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verb
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Impede -
To create obstacles or difficulties that hinder an action or process.
His lack of experience may impede his chances of getting the job.
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verb
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.
