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• slow motion
  slow motion

  noun

  the process or technique of filming or taping a motion-picture or television sequence at an accelerated rate of speed and then projecting or replaying it at normal speed so that the action appears to be slowed down.
• slow-motion
  slow-motion

  adjective

  of, pertaining to or made in slow motion.

slow motion

¹ American  

noun

1. the process or technique of filming or taping a motion-picture or television sequence at an accelerated rate of speed and then projecting or replaying it at normal speed so that the action appears to be slowed down.

2. the effect thus created.

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slow-motion ² American  

[sloh-moh-shuhn] / ˈsloʊˈmoʊ ʃən /

adjective

1. of, pertaining to or made in slow motion.

   a slow-motion replay.

2. moving or proceeding at a strikingly slow rate.

   slow-motion progress toward a settlement.

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slow motion British  

noun

1. films television action that is made to appear slower than normal by passing the film through the taking camera at a faster rate than normal or by replaying a video tape recording more slowly

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adjective

1. films television of or relating to such action

2. moving or functioning at less than usual speed

Etymology

Origin of slow motion¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Origin of slow-motion²

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

slow motion slow-motion

He dropped to the ground, almost in slow motion, as close to 15,000 supporters erupted in celebration and began chanting his name.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

That said, watching the sweet-and-sour sauce flying in slow motion is actually quite amusing.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

With piles of snow at every intersection and pedestrians moving in slow motion, I regularly bolted ahead and mounted obstacles like a fullback rushing for glory, leaving Sarah somewhere behind.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

This features a life-sized giraffe and a replica of an equestrian statue of Otto von Bismarck, the first chancellor of the German Empire, both constantly change shape in slow motion.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2025

“And how did…?” In slow motion, she brings it toward my face as she makes a whistling noise like an incoming missile.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

Moderating pay increases are another reminder of the slow-motion cost crunch that both businesses and workers are facing at the moment.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

That failure trapped the 12-story building in an undetected, slow-motion domino effect that ultimately claimed 98 lives, concluding something that many engineers had long suspected.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

“It was like a slow-motion version of the Louvre Museum heist, pulled off on a sunny day in Riverside in view of guests, staff and visitors,” wrote David Allen of the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

The journey that fear takes him on isn't a slow-motion car crash, it's a full-throttle run of joyless rides.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

The cat is stuck on the branch now, swiveling its head from side to side in slow-motion panic.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan