What does backslider mean?
A backslider is a person who lapses from a previous state of virtue, commitment, or belief — most commonly, someone who drifts away from religious faith or moral discipline they once sincerely practiced. The term originates in Christian language, where a backslider is a believer whose devotion has grown cold and who has returned to sinful habits despite an earlier profession of faith. Over time, its use broadened: today a dieter who returns to junk food, a recovering addict who relapses, or a reformed procrastinator slipping into old routines might all be described as backsliders. The word carries an inherently negative, often reproachful tone; calling someone a backslider implies not merely change but failure to sustain a better self. Closely related terms include apostate (one who formally rejects a belief) and recidivist (one who relapses into crime), but backslider occupies a distinctive middle ground — suggesting gradual, perhaps reluctant decline rather than outright rejection or repeat offense.
nounA backslider is a person who relapses into bad habits or former undesirable behavior, especially one who abandons religious faith or moral commitment after having professed it.
- One who lapses from religious faith, devotion, or moral standards after previously professing them.
- More broadly, anyone who relapses into former bad habits or undesirable patterns of behavior after a period of reform.
"After months of steady progress, he worried he was becoming a backslider, skipping his morning prayers once again."
"The pastor's sermon was aimed squarely at the backsliders in the congregation who had stopped attending."
"Six weeks into her fitness regimen, she caught herself skipping workouts and feared she was becoming a backslider."
Standard plural form; commonly used when referring collectively to members of a group who have lapsed, as in congregations or support groups.
"The preacher warned the congregation that unrepentant backsliders risked losing their place among the faithful."
The word 'backslider' has been guilt-tripping lapsed churchgoers since at least the 16th century — and it's still doing the Lord's work today.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of backslider
The word backslider derives from the verb 'backslide,' formed by combining 'back' with 'slide.' It entered English through religious usage, drawing on biblical imagery of falling away from God — the Old Testament book of Jeremiah repeatedly uses the phrase 'backsliding Israel' (in translations such as the King James Bible) to describe the nation's turning from God. By extension, English speakers adopted 'backslide' and 'backslider' to describe individuals who lapse from faith or virtue, with the noun well established by the early modern period. Its core components are thoroughly Germanic: both 'back' and 'slide' come from Old English roots, making this a native English formation rather than a borrowing from Latin or Greek.
Related word forms
How backslider is actually used
The term carries a strong connotation of moral or spiritual failure, rooted in Christian discourse where it refers to someone who falls away from their faith. In modern secular usage it is often applied with lighter irony to any relapse — dieting, exercise, sobriety — but the word retains a judgmental edge. It is most common in religious contexts, particularly evangelical Christianity.
Easily confused with backslider
A recidivist specifically relapses into criminal behavior, whereas a backslider more broadly reverts to former bad habits, especially in a moral or religious sense.
An apostate completely renounces or abandons a religious or political belief, while a backslider lapses or falls away gradually without necessarily making a formal repudiation.