slow (sl )adj. slow·er, slow·est 1. a. Not moving or able to move quickly; proceeding at a low speed: a slow train; slow walkers. b. Marked by a retarded tempo: a slow waltz. 2. a. Taking or requiring a long time: the slow job of making bread. b. Taking more time than is usual: a slow worker; slow progress in the peace negotiations. 3. Allowing movement or action only at a low speed: a slow track; a slow infield. 4. Registering a time or rate behind or below the correct one: a slow clock. 5. Lacking in promptness or willingness; not precipitate: They were slow to accept our invitation. 6. Characterized by a low volume of sales or transactions: Business was slow today. 7. Lacking liveliness or interest; boring: a slow party. 8. Not having or exhibiting intellectual or mental quickness: a slow learner. 9. Only moderately warm; low: a slow oven. adv. slower, slowest 1. So as to fall behind the correct time or rate: The watch runs slow. 2. At a low speed: Go slow! v. slowed, slow·ing, slows v.tr.1. To make slow or slower. 2. To delay; retard. v.intr. To become slow or slower.
[Middle English, from Old English sl w.]
slow ly adv. slowness n. Synonyms: slow, dilatory, leisurely, laggard, deliberate
These adjectives mean taking more time than is usual or necessary. Slow is the least specific: a slow bus; a slow heartbeat; slow to anger.
Dilatory implies lack of promptness caused by delay, procrastination, or indifference: paid a late fee because I was dilatory in paying the bill.
Leisurely suggests a relaxed lack of haste: went for a leisurely walk by the river.
Laggard implies hanging back or falling behind: "the horses' laggard pace" Rudyard Kipling.
Deliberate suggests a lack of hurry traceable especially to caution or careful consideration, as of consequences: worked in a systematic and deliberate manner. Usage Note: Slow may sometimes be used instead of slowly when it comes after the verb: We drove the car slow. In formal writing slowly is generally preferred. Slow is often used in speech and informal writing, especially when brevity and forcefulness are sought: Drive slow! Slow is also the established idiomatic form with certain senses of common verbs: The watch runs slow. Take it slow. |
slow Adjective 1. taking a longer time than is usual or expected 2. lacking speed: slow movements 3. adapted to or producing slow movement: the slow lane 4. (of a clock or watch) showing a time earlier than the correct time 5. not quick to understand: slow on the uptake 6. dull or uninteresting: the play was very slow 7. not easily aroused: he is slow to anger 8. (of business) not busy; slack 9. (of a fire or oven) giving off low heat 10. Photog requiring a relatively long time of exposure: a slow film Adverb in a slow manner Verb (often foll. by up, down)to decrease or cause to decrease in speed or activity [Old English slāw sluggish] slowly adv
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Verb | 1. | slow - lose velocity; move more slowly; "The car decelerated"decrease, diminish, lessen, fall - decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper" delay, detain, hold up - cause to be slowed down or delayed; "Traffic was delayed by the bad weather"; "she delayed the work that she didn't want to perform" | | 2. | slow - become slow or slower; "Production slowed"weaken - become weaker; "The prisoner's resistance weakened after seven days" | | 3. | slow - cause to proceed more slowly; "The illness slowed him down"bog, bog down - cause to slow down or get stuck; "The vote would bog down the house" constipate, clog - impede with a clog or as if with a clog; "The market is being clogged by these operations"; "My mind is constipated today" | | Adj. | 1. | slow - not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time; "a slow walker"; "the slow lane of traffic"; "her steps were slow"; "he was slow in reacting to the news"; "slow but steady growth"gradual - proceeding in small stages; "a gradual increase in prices" unhurried - relaxed and leisurely; without hurry or haste; "people strolling about in an unhurried way"; "an unhurried walk"; "spoke in a calm and unhurried voice" fast - acting or moving or capable of acting or moving quickly; "fast film"; "on the fast track in school"; "set a fast pace"; "a fast car" | | 2. | slow - at a slow tempo; "the band played a slow waltz"music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner fast - at a rapid tempo; "the band played a fast fox trot" | | 3. | slow - slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity; "so dense he never understands anything I say to him"; "never met anyone quite so dim"; "although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick"- Thackeray; "dumb officials make some really dumb decisions"; "he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse"; "worked with the slow students"stupid - lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity | | 4. | slow - (used of timepieces) indicating a time earlier than the correct time; "the clock is slow"fast - (used of timepieces) indicating a time ahead of or later than the correct time; "my watch is fast" | | 5. |  slow - so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness; "a boring evening with uninteresting people"; "the deadening effect of some routine tasks"; "a dull play"; "his competent but dull performance"; "a ho-hum speaker who couldn't capture their attention"; "what an irksome task the writing of long letters is"- Edmund Burke; "tedious days on the train"; "the tiresome chirping of a cricket"- Mark Twain; "other people's dreams are dreadfully wearisome"uninteresting - arousing no interest or attention or curiosity or excitement; "a very uninteresting account of her trip" | | 6. | slow - (of business) not active or brisk; "business is dull (or slow)"; "a sluggish market"inactive - lacking activity; lying idle or unused; "an inactive mine"; "inactive accounts"; "inactive machinery" | | Adv. | 1. | slow - without speed (`slow' is sometimes used informally for `slowly'); "he spoke slowly"; "go easy here--the road is slippery"; "glaciers move tardily"; "please go slow so I can see the sights"colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech | | 2. | slow - of timepieces; "the clock is almost an hour slow"; "my watch is running behind" |
slow adjective 1. unhurried, sluggish, leisurely, easy, measured, creeping, deliberate, lagging, lazy, plodding, slow-moving, loitering, ponderous, leaden, dawdling, laggard, lackadaisical, tortoise-like, sluggardly << OPPOSITE quick adjective 5. stupid, dim, dense, thick, dull, dumb ( informal) retarded, bovine, dozy Brit. ( informal) unresponsive, obtuse, slow on the uptake ( informal) braindead ( informal) dull-witted, blockish, slow-witted, intellectually handicapped Austral. << OPPOSITE bright adjective 6. dull, quiet, boring, dead, tame, slack, sleepy, sluggish, tedious, stagnant, unproductive, inactive, one-horse ( informal) uneventful, uninteresting, wearisome, dead-and-alive Brit. unprogressive << OPPOSITE exciting verb 8. (often with down) delay, hold up, hinder, check, restrict, handicap, detain, curb, retard, rein in << OPPOSITE speed up USAGE While not as unkind as thick and stupid, words like slow and backward, when used to talk about a person's mental abilities, are both unhelpful and likely to cause offence. It is preferable to say that a person has special educational needs or learning difficulties.  Translations slow [sləu] adj → lento; [ watch]: to be slow → estar atrasadovi (also: slow down) (also: slow up) → ir más despacio; my watch is 20 minutes slow → mi reloj lleva 20 minutos de retraso;
 slow [sləu] adj → lent(e); [ watch]; at a slow speed → à petite vitesse; my watch is 20 minutes slow → ma montre retarde de 20 minutes; business is slow → les affaires marchent au ralenti;
 slow [sləu] adj → langsam; ( business) → schlechter gehen; my watch is 20 minutes slow → meine Uhr geht 20 Minuten nach;
 slow [sləu] adj → lento/a; [ watch]: to be slow → essere indietrovt, vi (also: slow down) (also: slow up) → rallentare; business is slow ( COMM) → gli affari procedono a rilento; to go slow [ driver] → andare piano;
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