trail

The word “trail” means to follow closely behind someone or something. In plain terms, to follow or drag behind something, or a path/mark left behind by movement.

“Trail” is pronounced trayl (/tɹeɪl/ in IPA).

Here is “trail” used in a sentence: “The puppy trailed behind her on the walk.”

Depending on how it is used, “trail” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “trail” comes from Latin. From Old French trailler ("to tow, or track a scent"), ultimately from Latin trahere, "to pull or drag.".

“Trail” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Trail” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to follow closely behind someone or something.

Both mean to go along behind someone, but trail adds nuance. Trailing often suggests keeping a discreet or steady distance, sometimes to watch or track without being noticed, and can imply lagging behind. Follow is more neutral and simply means to go after, whether closely, openly, or from afar.

They are easily confused because the letters are so similar, but the meanings are unrelated. A trail is a path or the act of following behind something. A trial is a test or a formal examination of evidence in court. Only the order of the 'i' and 'l' separates the two spellings.

It means to be behind an opponent in the score, count, or standings. If a team trails by two goals, it is losing by that margin, and a candidate who trails in the polls is running second or lower. The word captures the idea of following rather than leading.

For example, 'The detective trailed the suspect through the market' means the detective followed closely behind. Other examples include a dog trailing its owner, reporters trailing a celebrity, or a runner trailing the leader. Each shows someone or something moving along just behind another.