backslide

English

Etymology

back +‎ slide

Verb

backslide (third-person singular simple present backslides, present participle backsliding, simple past backslid, past participle backslidden or backslid)

1. To regress; to slip backwards or revert to a previous, worse state.

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

2. To shirk responsibility; to renege on one's obligations or commitments.

   Rich countries are backsliding on their commitment to agree to new WTO measures to help people in poor countries gain access to affordable medicines. — Oxfam press release, 24 June 2002

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Icelandic: hrasa, lenda aftur í slysi, lenda aftur í synd, lenda aftur í villu

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Portuguese: regressar, apostatar, regredir