Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

backslider

noun

/ˈbækˌslaɪdər/

Definition

A person who reverts to a previous, typically worse, state or behavior after having made progress or improvements.

Examples

After months of hard work, he became a backslider when he stopped attending therapy sessions.
Her friends worried that she was becoming a backslider after witnessing her old habits return.
Many backsliders find it challenging to regain their former commitment to their goals.

Meaning

The term typically refers to someone who abandons or strays away from a commitment, belief, or improvement they had previously made, often in a moral or religious context.