Showing results for "lower"

• comparative of low.

lower

¹ American  

[loh-er] / ˈloʊ ər /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to descend; let or put down.

   to lower a flag.

   Synonyms:

   depress, drop

2. to make lower in height or level.

   to lower the water in a canal.

3. to reduce in amount, price, degree, force, etc.

   Synonyms:

   lessen, diminish, decrease

   Antonyms:

   increase, raise

4. to make less loud.

   Please lower your voice.

   Synonyms:

   soften

5. to bring down in rank or estimation; degrade; humble; abase (oneself), as by some sacrifice of self-respect or dignity.

   His bad actions lowered him in my eyes.

   Synonyms:

   debase, disgrace, dishonor, humiliate

   Antonyms:

   ennoble, elevate

6. Music. to make lower in pitch; flatten.

7. Phonetics. to alter the articulation of (a vowel) by increasing the distance of the tongue downward from the palate.

   The vowel of “clerk” is lowered to (ä) in the British pronunciation.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become lower, grow less, or diminish, as in amount, intensity, or degree.

   The brook lowers in early summer. Stock prices rise and lower constantly.

2. to descend; sink.

   the sun lowering in the west.

adjective

1. comparative of low.

2. of or relating to those portions of a river farthest from the source.

3. (often initial capital letter) noting an early division of a period, system, or the like.

   the Lower Devonian.

noun

1. a denture for the lower jaw.

2. a lower berth.

lower ² American  

[lau-er, lau^uhr] / ˈlaʊ ər, laʊər /

Also lour

verb (used without object)

1. to be dark and threatening, as the sky or the weather.

   Synonyms:

   threaten, darken

2. to frown, scowl, or look sullen; glower.

   He lowers at people when he's in a bad mood.

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noun

1. a dark, threatening appearance, as of the sky or weather.

2. a frown or scowl.

lower ¹ British  

/ ˈlaʊə /

verb

1. (esp of the sky, weather, etc) to be overcast, dark, and menacing

2. to scowl or frown

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noun

1. a menacing scowl or appearance

lower ² British  

/ ˈləʊə /

adjective

1. being below one or more other things

   the lower shelf

   the lower animals

2. reduced in amount or value

   a lower price

3. maths (of a limit or bound) less than or equal to one or more numbers or variables

4. (sometimes capital) geology denoting the early part or division of a period, system, formation, etc

   Lower Silurian

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verb

1. (tr) to cause to become low or on a lower level; bring, put, or cause to move down

2. (tr) to reduce or bring down in estimation, dignity, value, etc

   to lower oneself

3. to reduce or be reduced

   to lower one's confidence

4. (tr) to make quieter

   to lower the radio

5. (tr) to reduce the pitch of

6. (tr) phonetics to modify the articulation of (a vowel) by bringing the tongue further away from the roof of the mouth

7. (intr) to diminish or become less

lower Scientific  

/ lō′ər /

1. Being an earlier division of the geological or archaeological period named.

2. Compare upper

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Other Word Forms

• lowerable
  adjective
• lowering
  adjective
• loweringly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of lower¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English, comparative of low ¹ (adjective)

Origin of lower²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb louren “to frown, lurk”; akin to German lauern, Dutch loeren; see lurk

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Explanation

To lower is to move something downward. When you go to sleep at night, you lower your head onto your pillow (unless you are a horse; in that case, you don't lower anything and sleep standing up). After cleaning your house's gutters, you'll climb down, lower the ladder, and put it away. After you've raised your hand in class and been called on, you will lower your hand again. Another way to lower something is to decrease the volume: "Will you please lower the sound on the TV? It's way too loud!" A less common meaning of lower is to scowl or glower, or to look stormy and dark.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lower

Electric vehicle-maker Tesla announced lower profits in July-September and cut its capital spending forecast for this year, while Facebook-parent Meta lifted its estimates for how much it would spend on artificial intelligence.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

The WSJ Dollar Index edged lower, down for two consecutive trading days.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

His campaign touts his record as chair of the affordability-focused Congressional Renters Caucus and his support for proposed legislation that seeks to lower housing costs, expand supply and strengthen pathways to ownership.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

He said colleagues sustained lower limb injuries and heat illness, with many still unable to work.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

He ordered the soldiers to lower their weapons, told us all to stay right where we were, then followed the countess into her study.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

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Related Words

• curtail
• cut
• cut down
• decrease
• depreciate
• devalue
• diminish
• downgrade
• knock off
• lessen
• pare
• scale down
• slash
• soften

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