lag
LAG
/læɡ/
A noticeable delay or slow response in a computer, game, or network; (verb) to fall behind or move slowly.
In gaming, 'lag' is the colloquial and experiential term for the stuttering, freezing, or delayed response caused by high latency or poor system performance.
The story behind the word. The word originally described a person who moved slowly or fell behind a group (a 'laggard'). With the rise of computing and online networks, it was naturally adapted to describe data packets or software frames falling behind their expected schedule.
Word relationships
- stutter: 'Stutter' refers specifically to visual frame-rate drops, whereas 'lag' usually refers to network-induced delays.
Commonly confused with
- latency: 'Latency' is the technical cause (the measured delay), while 'lag' is the observable effect (the game stuttering or responding slowly).
Word family
- laggard (noun): A person who makes slow progress or falls behind.
Collocations
- input lag
- network lag
- severe lag
- lag spike
Example sentences
- "I lost the match because my connection started to lag, causing my character to freeze in place." A gamer complaining about their internet connection.
Memory hook
When you lag, you drag behind the rest of the team. Lag makes you drag.
When not to use
Avoid using 'lag' in formal academic papers when 'latency' or 'propagation delay' would be more precise, though 'lag' is perfectly acceptable in general tech discussions.
Fun facts
- The term 'lag' has become so ubiquitous that gamers use it in real life to describe feeling tired or slow to respond (e.g., 'My brain is lagging today').
Explore more words
laggard, fall behind, latency, sluggish, stagnation, Stagnate
Also appears in
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