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Synonyms
Slow - 10 dictionary results
slow
[sloh]
adjective, -er, -est, adverb, -er, -est, verb –adjective
| 1. | moving or proceeding with little or less than usual speed or velocity: a slow train. |
| 2. | characterized by lack of speed: a slow pace. |
| 3. | taking or requiring a comparatively long time for completion: a slow meal; a slow trip. |
| 4. | requiring or taking a long time for growing, changing, or occurring; gradual: a plant of slow growth. |
| 5. | sluggish in nature, disposition, or function. |
| 6. | dull of perception or understanding; mentally dull: a slow child. |
| 7. | not prompt, readily disposed, or in haste (usually fol. by to or an infinitive): slow to anger; slow to take offense. |
| 8. | burning or heating with little speed or intensity, as a fire or an oven. |
| 9. | slack; not busy: The market was slow today. |
| 10. | having some quality that retards speed or causes movement, progress, work, etc., to be accomplished at less than the usual or expected rate of speed: a slow, careful worker; a slow road. |
| 11. | running at less than the proper rate of speed or registering less than the proper time, as a clock. |
| 12. | passing heavily or dragging, as time: It's been a slow afternoon. |
| 13. | not progressive; behind the times: a slow town. |
| 14. | dull, humdrum, uninteresting, or tedious: What a slow party! |
| 15. | Photography. requiring long exposure, as by having a small lens diameter or low film sensitivity: a slow lens or film. |
| 16. | (of the surface of a race track) sticky from a fairly recent rain and in the process of drying out. |
–adverb
| 17. | in a slow manner; slowly: Drive slow. |
–verb (used with object)
| 18. | to make slow or slower (often fol. by up or down). |
| 19. | to retard; reduce the advancement or progress of: His illness slowed him at school. |
–verb (used without object)
| 20. | to become slow or slower; slacken in speed (often fol. by up or down). |
Related forms:
slowly, adverb
slowness, noun
Synonyms:
1, 2. unhurried. Slow, deliberate, gradual, leisurely mean unhurried and not happening rapidly. That which is slow acts or moves without haste or rapidity: a slow procession of cars. Deliberate implies the slowness that marks careful consideration before and while acting: a deliberate and calculating manner. Gradual suggests the slowness of something that advances one step at a time: a gradual improvement in service. That which is leisurely moves with the slowness allowed by ample time or the absence of pressure: an unhurried and leisurely stroll. 5. sluggardly, dilatory, indolent, lazy, slothful. 6. dense. See dull. 14. boring. 19. hinder, impede, obstruct.
1, 2. unhurried. Slow, deliberate, gradual, leisurely mean unhurried and not happening rapidly. That which is slow acts or moves without haste or rapidity: a slow procession of cars. Deliberate implies the slowness that marks careful consideration before and while acting: a deliberate and calculating manner. Gradual suggests the slowness of something that advances one step at a time: a gradual improvement in service. That which is leisurely moves with the slowness allowed by ample time or the absence of pressure: an unhurried and leisurely stroll. 5. sluggardly, dilatory, indolent, lazy, slothful. 6. dense. See dull. 14. boring. 19. hinder, impede, obstruct.
Antonyms:
1–3. fast. 19. advance.
1–3. fast. 19. advance.
Usage note:
As an adverb, slow has two forms, slow and slowly. Slowly appeared first in the 15th century; slow came into use shortly thereafter. Both are standard today in certain uses.
Originally, slow was used both preceding and following the verb it modified. Today, it is used chiefly in imperative constructions with short verbs of motion (drive, run, turn, walk, etc.), and it follows the verb: Drive slow. Don't walk so slow. This use is more common in speech than in writing, although it occurs widely on traffic and road signs. Slow also combines with present participles in forming adjectives: slow-burning; slow-moving. In this use it is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.
Slowly is by far the more common form of the adverb in writing. In both speech and writing it is the usual form in preverb position (He slowly drove down the street. The couple slowly strolled into the park) and following verbs that are not imperatives (He drove slowly down the street. The couple strolled slowly through the park). See also quick, sure.
As an adverb, slow has two forms, slow and slowly. Slowly appeared first in the 15th century; slow came into use shortly thereafter. Both are standard today in certain uses.
Originally, slow was used both preceding and following the verb it modified. Today, it is used chiefly in imperative constructions with short verbs of motion (drive, run, turn, walk, etc.), and it follows the verb: Drive slow. Don't walk so slow. This use is more common in speech than in writing, although it occurs widely on traffic and road signs. Slow also combines with present participles in forming adjectives: slow-burning; slow-moving. In this use it is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.
Slowly is by far the more common form of the adverb in writing. In both speech and writing it is the usual form in preverb position (He slowly drove down the street. The couple slowly strolled into the park) and following verbs that are not imperatives (He drove slowly down the street. The couple strolled slowly through the park). See also quick, sure.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To Slow
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slow
Slow\, obs. imp. of Slee, to slay. Slew. --Chaucer.Slow
Slow\, a. [Compar. Slower; superl. Slowest.] [OE. slow, slaw, AS. sl[=a]w; akin to OS. sl?u blunt, dull, D. sleeuw, slee, sour, OHG. sl?o blunt, dull, Icel. sl?r, sl?r, Dan. sl["o]v, Sw. sl["o]. Cf. Sloe, and Sloth.]1. Moving a short space in a relatively long time; not swift; not quick in motion; not rapid; moderate; deliberate; as, a slow stream; a slow motion. 2. Not happening in a short time; gradual; late. These changes in the heavens, though slow, produced Like change on sea and land, sidereal blast. --Milton. 3. Not ready; not prompt or quick; dilatory; sluggish; as, slow of speech, and slow of tongue. Fixed on defense, the Trojans are not slow To guard their shore from an expected foe. --Dryden. 4. Not hasty; not precipitate; acting with deliberation; tardy; inactive. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding. --Prov. xiv. 29. 5. Behind in time; indicating a time earlier than the true time; as, the clock or watch is slow. 6. Not advancing or improving rapidly; as, the slow growth of arts and sciences. 7. Heavy in wit; not alert, prompt, or spirited; wearisome; dull. [Colloq.] --Dickens. Thackeray. Note: Slow is often used in the formation of compounds for the most part self-explaining; as, slow-gaited, slow-paced, slow-sighted, slow-winged, and the like. Slow coach, a slow person. See def.7, above. [Colloq.] Slow lemur, or Slow loris (Zo["o]l.), an East Indian nocturnal lemurine animal (Nycticebus tardigradus) about the size of a small cat; -- so called from its slow and deliberate movements. It has very large round eyes and is without a tail. Called also bashful Billy. Slow match. See under Match. Syn: Dilatory; late; lingering; tardy; sluggish; dull; inactive. Usage: Slow, Tardy, Dilatory. Slow is the wider term, denoting either a want of rapid motion or inertness of intellect. Dilatory signifies a proneness to defer, a habit of delaying the performance of what we know must be done. Tardy denotes the habit of being behind hand; as, tardy in making up one's acounts.Slow
Slow\, adv. Slowly. Let him have time to mark how slow time goes In time of sorrow. --Shak.Slow
Slow\, v. i. To go slower; -- often with up; as, the train slowed up before crossing the bridge.Slow
Slow\, n. A moth. [Obs.] --Rom. of R.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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slow (adj.)
O.E. slaw "inactive, sluggish," also "not clever," from P.Gmc. *slæwaz (cf. O.S. sleu "blunt, dull," M.Du. slee, Du. sleeuw "sour, tart, blunt," O.H.G. sleo "blunt, dull," O.N. sljor, Dan. sløv, Swed. slö "blunt, dull"). Meaning "taking a long time" is attested from c.1230. Meaning "dull, tedious" is from 1841. The verb is O.E. slawian; modern use may be a 16c. reformation. Slowpoke is first recorded 1848. Slow burn "delayed anger reaction" is attested from 1975.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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slow
In addition to the idioms beginning with slow, also see mills of the gods grind slowly; on the uptake, slow.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.


