English
slow
Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /sləʊ/
  • (America) IPA: /sloʊ/
Adjective

slow (comparative slower, superlative slowest)

  1. Taking a long time to move or go a short distance, or to perform an action; not quick in motion; proceeding at a low speed.
    a slow train;  a slow computer
  2. Not happening in a short time; spread over a comparatively long time.
    • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost
      These changes in the heavens, though slow, produced / Like change on sea and land, sidereal blast.
  3. Of reduced intellectual capacity; not quick to comprehend.
    • 1960, Dissertation Abstracts (volume 20, page 4007)
      Experienced classroom teachers are well acquainted with the attention-seeker, the shy girl, the aggressive boy, the poor concentrator, the slow student […]
  4. Not hasty; not tending to hurry; acting with deliberation or caution.
    • 1999, Brian Paul Kaufman, K. Winston Caine, Prayer, Faith, and Healing: Cure Your Body, Heal Your Mind and Restore Your Soul
      And even after the emotional cast comes off, we need to be slow about getting deeply involved in a relationship again
    • 1769, King James Bible, Proverbs xiv 29
      He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding.
  5. (of a clock or the like) Behind in time; indicating a time earlier than the true time.
    That clock is slow.
  6. Lacking spirit; deficient in liveliness or briskness.
  7. (of a period of time) Not busy; lacking activity.
    It was a slow news day, so the editor asked us to make our articles wordier.
    I'm just sitting here with a desk of cards, enjoying a slow afternoon.
Synonyms Antonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

slow (slows, present participle slowing; past and past participle slowed)

  1. (transitive) To make (something) run, move, etc. less quickly; to reduce the speed of.
  2. (transitive) To keep from going quickly; to hinder the progress of.
  3. (intransitive) To become slow; to slacken in speed; to decelerate.
    • After about a minute, the creek bed vomited the debris into a gently sloped meadow. Saugstad felt the snow slow and tried to keep her hands in front of her.
Synonyms Translations Translations Noun

slow (plural slows)

  1. Someone who is slow; a sluggard.
  2. (music) A slow song.
Adverb

slow (comparative slower, superlative slowest)

  1. Slowly.
    That clock is running slow.
    • 1594, William Shakespeare, The Rape of Lucrece
      Let him have time to mark how slow time goes / In time of sorrow.


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