flagging

/'flægiɳ/

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Sure! Let’s break down the word "flagging."

Definition:

1. Adjective: "Flagging" means feeling weak or tired, often because you have been working hard or doing something for a long time.
2. Noun: It can also refer to "flagstones," which are flat stones used for paving paths or gardens.

Usage Instructions:

• When you use "flagging" as an adjective, it usually describes someone’s energy or strength.
• As a noun, it refers to the physical stones used in construction or landscaping.

Examples:

• Adjective: "After running for two hours, I felt flagging and needed to rest."
• Noun: "The flagging in the garden was quite imaginative, with different colors and shapes of stones."

Advanced Usage:

• You might say, "The team’s energy was flagging as the game went into extra time," meaning they were becoming tired and less enthusiastic.
• In a more complex context, "The flagging economy has led to increased unemployment rates," indicating a decrease in economic activity.

Word Variants:

• Flag (verb): To become weak or tired. Example: "I could feel my energy flagging after studying all night."
• Flagged (past tense): Used to describe something that has become weak. Example: "His interest in the project flagged after the initial excitement wore off."

Different Meanings:

1. Flagging (adjective): Weak from exhaustion.
2. Flagging (noun): Refers to the stones used for paving.

Synonyms:

• For the adjective meaning: tired, weary, exhausted, weakening.
• For the noun meaning: paving stones, slabs.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There aren't specific idioms that use "flagging" directly, but you might encounter phrases like:
  • "Flagging down" (to signal someone or something to stop, such as a taxi).

Summary:

"Flagging" can describe both a state of tiredness and a type of stone used for paths. Remember, when you use it as an adjective, it’s about feeling weak, and as a noun, it’s about the stones.

Academic

Adjective

1. weak from exhaustion

Noun

1. a walk of flagstones
   • the flagging in the garden was quite imaginative
2. flagstones collectively
   • there was a pile of flagging waiting to be laid in place

Synonyms

• drooping