What does backslidden mean?
"Backslidden" describes a person who has lapsed into former bad ways after a period of reform or religious devotion — most commonly someone who has drifted away from their Christian faith or abandoned once-fervent moral commitments. It is essentially the adjectival form of the verb "backslide," functioning like a past participle: just as a person who has grown can be called grown, one who has backslid is backslidden. The word belongs overwhelmingly to religious language, appearing constantly in sermons, hymns, and evangelical appeals that urge the backslidden believer to repent and return. Its tone is inherently judgmental, implying not merely change but a fall from a better state. Outside spiritual contexts it can describe any regression — an athlete gone backslidden in training, say — though such secular uses are rarer and can sound quaint. Related forms include the verb "backslide," the noun "backsliding" for the process, and "backslider" for the person.
adjectiveHaving lapsed or reverted to former bad habits, beliefs, or practices after a period of improvement or commitment; used chiefly of someone who has fallen away from religious faith or moral standards.
- (Of a person) having reverted to sinful habits or abandoned religious faith after a period of devotion.
- (By extension) having regressed to a former, worse state after improvement.
"After years of devoted church attendance, he had become backslidden, rarely setting foot in a place of worship."
"The sermon called on every backslidden member of the congregation to return to the faith."
"Once a model of discipline, he had grown backslidden in his habits, skipping practice after practice."
The word owes its fame less to dictionaries than to the pulpit — generations of revivalist preachers have thundered about the 'backslidden' soul, making it one of English's most distinctly religious adjectives.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of backslidden
"Backslidden" derives from the verb "backslide," formed within English by compounding "back" with "slide," the latter coming from Old English "slidan," meaning to slip or glide, which also gives us "slide" and its many derivatives. The compound emerged in the context of Protestant religious language, where it took on its characteristic sense of falling away from faith, and it became especially prominent in Puritan and later evangelical preaching. Its participle-like form mirrors other English adjectives built on the pattern of the verb plus -en, much as "sunken" relates to "sink."
Related word forms
How backslidden is actually used
The word carries strong connotations of religious or moral failure and is used almost exclusively in Christian contexts — sermons, devotional writing, and evangelical literature. It functions as the past-participle-like form of the verb "backslide" but stands on its own as an adjective. It can sound archaic or judgmental outside religious settings, where plainer terms like "lapsed" may be preferred.
Easily confused with backslidden
"Backslidden" is an adjective describing the resulting state of having lapsed, while "backsliding" is usually the noun or verb denoting the process of lapsing itself.
A "backslider" is the person who has lapsed, whereas "backslidden" describes that person's condition.