slack
1slow, sluggish, or indolent: He is slack in answering letters.
not active or busy; dull; not brisk: the slack season in an industry.
moving very slowly, as the tide, wind, or water.
Phonetics. weak; lax.
Nautical. easy (def. 15a).
in a slack manner.
a slack condition or part.
the part of a rope, sail, or the like, that hangs loose, without strain upon it.
a decrease in activity, as in business or work: a sudden slack in output.
a period of decreased activity.
Geography. a cessation in a strong flow, as of a current at its turn.
a depression between hills, in a hillside, or in the land surface.
Prosody. (in sprung rhythm) the unaccented syllable or syllables.
British Dialect. a morass; marshy ground; a hollow or dell with soft, wet ground at the bottom.
to be remiss in respect to (some matter, duty, right, etc.); leave undone; shirk: He slacked the most important part.
to make loose, or less tense or taut, as a rope; loosen (often followed by off or out).
to slake (lime).
to be remiss; shirk one's duty or part.
to become less active, vigorous, rapid, etc. (often followed by up): Business is slacking up.
to become less tense or taut, as a rope; to ease off.
to become slaked, as lime.
Idioms about slack
take up the slack,
to pull in or make taut a loose section of a rope, line, wire, etc.: Take up the slack before releasing the kite.
to provide or compensate for something that is missing or incomplete: New sources of oil will take up the slack resulting from the embargo.
Origin of slack
1Other words for slack
1 | relaxed |
2 | lax, lazy, thoughtless |
3 | dilatory, tardy, listless |
4 | idle, quiet |
11 | slowing, relaxation |
17 | neglect |
18 | reduce, slacken |
21 | malinger |
Other words from slack
- slack·ing·ly, adverb
- slackly, adverb
- slackness, noun
- un·slacked, adjective
- un·slack·ing, adjective
Other definitions for slack (2 of 2)
the fine screenings of coal.
Origin of slack
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for slack (1 of 2)
/ (slæk) /
not tight, tense, or taut
negligent or careless
(esp of water, etc) moving slowly
(of trade, etc) not busy
phonetics another term for lax (def. 4)
in a slack manner
a part of a rope, etc, that is slack: take in the slack
a period of decreased activity
a patch of water without current
a slackening of a current
prosody (in sprung rhythm) the unstressed syllable or syllables
to neglect (one's duty, etc)
(often foll by off) to loosen; to make slack
chem a less common word for slake (def. 3)
Origin of slack
1- See also slacks
Derived forms of slack
- slackly, adverb
- slackness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for slack (2 of 2)
/ (slæk) /
small pieces of coal with a high ash content
Origin of slack
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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