English
backslide
Verb

backslide (backslides, present participle backsliding; past backslid, past participle backslidden)

  1. To regress; to slip backwards or revert to a previous, worse state.
    • 1893, George Eliot, George Eliot's Works - Volume 7 - Page 233 ↗
      Monna Brigida, who had backslided into false hair in Romola's absence, but now drew it off again and declared she would not mind being gray, if her dear child would stay with her.
    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. — [https://web.archive.org/web/20070612221258/http://www.oxfamamerica.org/newsandpublications/press_releases/archive2002/art2794.html Oxfam press release, 24 June 2002]
Translations Translations
  • Portuguese: apostatar
Noun

backslide (plural backslides)

  1. A backward regression; a reverting back to a worse state.
  2. A dance move in which the feet are alternately slid back and the heels lifted, giving the illusion of walking forwards while actually moving backwards; later popularly called the moonwalk.


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