This is the 6428th most frequent Chinese word.
掉队
"掉队" means "to fall behind."
The word "掉队" is used to describe falling behind in a race or competition, highlighting a position change due to certain reasons.
在比赛中，他由于体力不支而掉队了。
He fell behind in the race due to lack of stamina.
Here, "掉队" depicts metaphorically lagging or falling behind in academics or achievements due to insufficient effort.
如果不努力学习，就可能在成绩上掉队。
If you don't study hard, you might fall behind in your grades.
In this case, "掉队" is used metaphorically to express the loss of competitiveness in a dynamic field.