Past participle of backslide; having returned to a worse condition or previous bad behavior; or an adjective describing someone who has lost faith or regressed.
Past participle of 'backslide,' formed irregularly. The word developed primarily in religious doctrine to describe spiritual regression and apostasy from faith.
In strict religious communities, being called 'backslidden' was among the harshest judgments—it implied not just failure, but willful abandonment of what you once believed, which is way worse than never believing at all.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.