situated, placed, or occurring not far above the ground, floor, or base.
a low shelf.
of small extent upward; not high or tall.
A low wall surrounds the property.
not far above the horizon, as a planet.
The moon was low in the sky.
lying or being below the general level.
low ground.
designating or pertaining to regions near sea level, especially near the sea.
low countries.
bending or passing far downward; deep.
a low bow.
(of a garment) low-necked; décolleté.
The dress she wore was fashionably low.
rising but slightly from a surface.
a low relief on a frieze.
of less than average or normal height or depth, as a liquid or stream.
The river is low this time of year.
near the first of a series.
a low number.
ranked near the beginning or bottom on some scale of measurement.
a low income bracket.
indicating the bottom or the point farthest down.
the low point in his creative life.
lacking in strength, energy, or vigor; feeble; weak.
to feel low and listless.
providing little nourishment or strength, as a diet.
of small number, amount, degree, force, intensity, etc..
low visibility;
a generator with a low output.
indicated or represented by a low number.
A low latitude is one relatively near the equator.
soft: subdued; not loud.
a low murmur.
Music. produced by relatively slow vibrations, as sounds; grave in pitch.
assigning or attributing little worth, value, excellence, or the like.
a low estimate of a new book.
containing a relatively small amount.
a diet low in starches.
nearing depletion; not adequately supplied.
low on funds;
Our stock of towels is low.
depressed or dejected.
low spirits.
far down in the scale of rank or estimation; humble.
of low birth.
of inferior quality or character.
a low grade of fabric;
a low type of intellect.
lacking in dignity or elevation, as of thought or expression.
mean, base, or disreputable.
low tricks;
low companions.
coarse or vulgar.
entertainment of a low sort.
Boxing. struck or delivered below a contestant's belt.
Biology. having a relatively simple structure; not complex in organization.
Phonetics. (of a vowel) articulated with a relatively large opening above the tongue, as the vowels of hat, hut, hot, ought, etc.
Automotive. of, relating to, or operating at the gear transmission ratio at which the drive shaft moves at the lowest speed with relation to the speed of the engine crankshaft, used especially for temporarily overcoming the weight or inertia of the vehicle; first.
low gear.
Baseball. (of a pitched ball) passing the plate at a level below that of the batter's knees.
a low curve.
Cards. having less value than other cards.
a low card.
Metallurgy. having a relatively small amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination).
low-carbon steel.
Chiefly British. holding to Low Church principles and practices.
in or to a low position, point, degree, etc..
The raiders crouched low in the bushes.
near the ground, floor, or base; not aloft.
The plane flew low.
in or to a humble or abject state.
Some live low while others live high.
She swore she would bring him low.
in or to a condition of depletion, prostration, or death.
The gas in the tank is running low.
at comparatively small cost; cheaply.
to buy something low and sell it high.
at or to a low pitch, volume, intensity, etc..
to turn the radio low;
ights turned down low.
in a low tone; softly: quietly.
to speak low.
Archaic. far down in time; late.
something that is low, as ground or prices.
numerous marshy lows in the forest;
the recent low in the stock market.
Automotive. low gear; first gear.
Meteorology. an atmospheric low-pressure system; cyclone.
Cards.
the lowest trump card.
a card of small value, or of lower value than other cards.
the lowest score in a game.
a player having such a score.
a point of deepest decline, vulgarity, etc..
a new low in tastelessness.
Slang. a period of intense depression or discomfort, when the effects of a drug have subsided.
lie low,
to conceal oneself.
He had to lie low for a while.
to do nothing until the right opportunity develops; bide one's time.
Until the dispute is settled, you would do best to lie low.
lay low,
to overpower or kill; defeat.
to lay one's attackers low.
to knock down; make prostrate.
Informal. to lie low.
to burn; blaze.
(of a person) to feel strong emotions; glow with excitement.
David, 1891–1963, English political cartoonist, born in New Zealand.
Juliette, 1860–1927, founder of Girl Scouts in the U.S.
Seth, 1850–1916, U.S. political reformer, educator, and politician.
having a relatively small distance from base to top; not tall or high
a low hill
a low building
situated at a relatively short distance above the ground, sea level, the horizon, or other reference position
low cloud
( in combination )
low-lying
involving or containing a relatively small amount of something
a low supply
( in combination )
low-pressure
having little value or quality
( in combination )
low-grade
of less than the usual or expected height, depth, or degree
low temperature
(of numbers) small
(of measurements) expressed in small numbers
unfavourable
a low opinion
not advanced in evolution
a low form of plant life
deep
a low obeisance
coarse or vulgar
a low conversation
inferior in culture or status
( in combination )
low-class
in a physically or mentally depressed or weakened state
designed so as to reveal the wearer's neck and part of the bosom
a low neckline
with a hushed tone; quiet or soft
a low whisper
of relatively small price or monetary value
low cost
music relating to or characterized by a relatively low pitch
(of latitudes) situated not far north or south of the equator
having little or no money
abject or servile
phonetics of, relating to, or denoting a vowel whose articulation is produced by moving the back of the tongue away from the soft palate or the blade away from the hard palate, such as for the a in English father Compare high
(of a gear) providing a relatively low forward speed for a given engine speed
(usually capital) of or relating to the Low Church
in a low position, level, degree, intensity, etc
to bring someone low
at a low pitch; deep
to sing low
at a low price; cheaply
to buy low
to cause to fall by a blow
to overcome, defeat or destroy
to keep or be concealed or quiet
to wait for a favourable opportunity
a low position, level, or degree
an all-time low
an area of relatively low atmospheric pressure, esp a depression
electronics the voltage level in a logic circuit corresponding to logical zero Compare high
See mean 2.
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English lou(e), loh(e) (adjective and noun), earlier lāh, from Old Norse lāgr (adjective) “low, low down”; cognate with Old Frisian lēge, lēch, Dutch laag, Old High German laege; akin to lie 2
First recorded before 1000; Middle English lowen, Old English hlōwan; cognate with Dutch loeien, Old High German hluoen, Old Saxon hlōian; akin to Old Norse Hlōi a proper name (literally, “bellower, shouter”), Latin clāmāre “to call out”
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old Norse loga “to flame,” log “a flame,” akin to German lohen (verb), Lohe (noun), Latin lūcēre (verb), lūx (noun) “light”; see also light 1
When you travel through a low tunnel, you might be tempted to duck your head. Something that's low is short or shallow. Things that are less than usual can be described with the adjective low. You might be low on gas in your car, for example, or wake up with a low amount of energy. A low ceiling can be dangerous for a very tall person, and a low voice can barely be heard. You can also talk about a gloomy mood as being low. And when cows moo, whether they're feeling low or not, you can cay that they low.
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According to the USDA, in 2026 farm income is expected to be lower than its near-record 2023 level, but still at or above its long-run average, and the sector’s 13% debt-to-asset ratio is surprisingly low.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
The added threat to supply comes as global stocks are low, including in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
But Sell also has mortgages and commercial notes on his properties, putting his net worth as low as negative $2.8 million and as high as $13.9 million.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Super Giants, playing their first match under their new name having spent five years as Manchester Originals, made steady work chasing their low target.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Somebody was coming up the back porch steps, maybe Aunt Maud, so Tansy spoke low and fast.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
“Strong auto sales are unusual when consumers are pinched,” said Chris Low, chief economist at FHN Financial.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Low oxygen caused sediments to release even more phosphate.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026
Low temperatures across the region will probably remain in the 70s even overnight, providing little relief and exacerbating health concerns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Low iron – which studies show, external is especially common for women with heavy periods – also affects oxygen delivery, giving our cardiovascular systems even more work, she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Low clumps of naked trees bracketed by snow-dusted fields.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
According to the USDA, in 2026 farm income is expected to be lower than its near-record 2023 level, but still at or above its long-run average, and the sector’s 13% debt-to-asset ratio is surprisingly low.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
AEM’s shares are last down 0.9% lower at S$8.79.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The report also found inflation for low-income households stood at 3.6%, lower than the rate experienced by pensioners but still above the island-wide average.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
It’s a feat of engineering, situated on a hill between the park’s upper and lower lots, extending out toward Lankershim Boulevard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Boy and dog moved their heads in unison as they scanned the lower shelves, which were filled with plastic containers.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
The German men's national team is currently at its lowest ebb in decades, having failed to reach the last 16 at the past three World Cups.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Volkswagen's vehicle deliveries in the country were last year already at their lowest level since 2011 and they fell a further 31.6 percent in the first six months of the year, the firm said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Department of Energy announced that the reserve fell to about 311 million barrels of oil over the previous week, the lowest level since March 1983.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Last week, the major reservoirs Lake Mead and Lake Powell fell to their lowest combined levels on record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
All through first and second grade, and part of third, I was in the lowest group.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
“People see me on the court and they’re like,” he said, then lowed his voice to a whisper, “’Oh, my God!
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2022
The SCA later lowed its demand to $550m, but the owners and insurers reportedly offered to pay $150m.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2021
They fed us lentils cooked in onion and garlic and thin milk from the water buffalo that lowed outside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2020
Charlie’s mother fol- lowed his voice to the kitchen, where she let him know that she and Charlie were home playing cards.
From MSNBC ● Oct. 22, 2014
The cow lowed in the pasture below me, as if she knew that I was leaving, or thought I was already gone.
From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien
You can hear a gentle lowing of cows.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2022
There were clear high points: The sawing, lowing horns and climbing strings toward the second movement’s conclusion were stunningly attractive opposites.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 6, 2022
Behind us, the skyline of Atlanta hidden by the photographer’s backdrop — a lush pasture, green, full of soft-eyed cows lowing, a chant that sounds like no, no.
From New York Times ● Nov. 13, 2018
He allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked three while lowing his ERA to 0.69 in six starts since being traded from Texas to the Cubs in late July.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 29, 2018
My father would groan in acknowledgment, lowing the refrain of my youth.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
