Meaning of 'lapse'

noun

a failure to maintain a higher state

Synonyms: backsliding

noun

a mistake resulting from inattention

Synonyms: oversight

noun

a break or intermission in the occurrence of something

Example: "a lapse of three weeks between letters"

verb

go back to bad behavior

Synonyms: relapse regress recidivate retrogress fall back

verb

drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards

Synonyms: backslide

verb

end, at least for a long time

Example: "The correspondence lapsed"

verb

pass into a specified state or condition

Synonyms: pass sink

verb

pass by

Example: "three years elapsed"

Synonyms: pass go by elapse slip by glide by slip away slide by go along

verb

to let slip

Example: "They lapsed their gym membership."