backsliding

«backsliding» in Mova's school dictionary: Going back to bad old habits after you had been doing better — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (backsliding – uncountable); verb form (of «backslide»: backslide, backslides, backslid, backsliding)

meaning for a pupil

1) Going back to bad old habits after you had been doing better. tree →

2) (church) Falling away from faith or from living as a Christian after having been committed. tree →

sense in the lessons

In church language, a «backslider» is someone who has turned away from faith; preachers in the 1800s used the word often. In everyday life it means slipping back: after New Year's resolutions, backsliding into eating too many sweets. In The Wind in the Willows Toad promises to be good, then backslides as soon as he sees a motor car.

examples

• After a week of early nights, there was some backsliding at the weekend. tree →
• The preacher warned the people against backsliding. tree →
• Toad promised to change, but his backsliding began at once. tree →
• We must stop backsliding into old bad habits. tree →
• Christians believe God forgives the backsliding person who comes back. tree →
• My diet lasted two days before the backsliding started. tree →

note

Uncountable as a noun. Verb past: «backslid». A person is «a backslider».

In the corpora

• «You backsliding animal» cries the Badger (backsliding = slipping back into bad ways).
• even the LORD said unto me — backsliding Israel hath proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
• Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding?
• How long wilt thou turn away coyly, O thou backsliding daughter?
• I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for Mine anger is turned away from him.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «backsliding» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.