lower
see also: Lower
Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /ˈləʊə/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈloʊɚ/
Adjective
  1. comparative form of low
  2. bottom; more towards the bottom than the middle of an object
  3. Situated on lower ground, nearer a coast, or more southerly.
    Lower Manhattan
    Lower Burgundy
  4. (geology, of strata or geological time periods) older
Antonyms Translations Adverb
  1. comparative form of low
Verb

lower (lowers, present participle lowering; past and past participle lowered)

  1. (transitive) To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down
    lower a bucket into a well
    to lower a sail of a boat
  2. (transitive) to pull down
    to lower a flag
    • 1833 (first publication), Alfred Tennyson, A Dream of Fair Women
      Lower'd softly with a threefold cord of love
      Down to a silent grave.
  3. (transitive) To reduce the height of
    lower a fence or wall
    lower a chimney or turret
  4. (transitive) To depress as to direction
    lower the aim of a gun
  5. (transitive) To make less elevated
    to lower one's ambition, aspirations, or hopes
  6. (transitive) To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of
    lower the temperature
    lower one's vitality
    lower distilled liquors
  7. (transitive) To bring down; to humble
    lower one's pride
  8. (reflexive) (lower oneself) To humble oneself; to do something one considers to be beneath one's dignity.
    I could never lower myself enough to buy second-hand clothes.
  9. (transitive) To reduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
    lower the price of goods
    lower the interest rate
  10. (intransitive) To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease
    The river lowered as rapidly as it rose.
  11. (intransitive) To decrease in value, amount, etc.
Synonyms
  • (let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail) bring down
  • (reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney) shorten
  • (depress as to direction, as a gun)
  • (make less elevated as to object, as ambitions or hopes) reduce
  • (reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature) reduce, turn down
  • (transitive: to humble)
  • (reflexive: to humble oneself) be humble
  • (reduce (something) in value, amount, etc) cut, reduce
  • (intransitive: grow less) die off, drop, fall, fall off, shrink
  • (intransitive: decrease in value) become/get smaller, become/get lower, lessen, reduce
Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations
  • Portuguese: diminuir
  • Russian: снижа́ть
Translations Translations
  • Russian: унижа́ть
Translations Translations Translations Translations Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /ˈlaʊə/, /ˈlaʊ.ə/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈlaʊɚ/, /ˈlaʊ.ɚ/
Verb

lower (lowers, present participle lowering; past and past participle lowered)

  1. Alternative spelling of lour
    • c. 1593, [William Shakespeare], The Tragedy of King Richard the Third. […] (First Quarto), London: Printed by Valentine Sims [and Peter Short] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1597, OCLC 55191490 ↗, [Act I, scene i] ↗:
      Now is the winter of our diſcontent, / Made glorious ſummer by this ſonne of Yorke: / And all the cloudes that lowrd vpon our houſe, / In the deepe boſome of the Ocean buried.
    • 1700, [John] Dryden, “Homer’s Ilias”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: Printed for Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 228732415 ↗, book I, page 215 ↗:
      {...}} Juno#English|Juno took her place: / But ſullen Diſcontent ſat lowring on her Face.
Related terms
Lower
Proper noun
  1. Surname



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