snail's pace

American  

noun

1. an extremely slow rate.

   The work progresses at a snail's pace.

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snail's pace British  

noun

1. a very slow or sluggish speed or rate

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snail's pace Idioms  

1. A very slow pace, as in They're making progress with testing the new vaccine, but at a snail's pace. [c. 1400]

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Etymology

Origin of snail's pace

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snail's pace

But more than six months after the announcement, the status quo remains undisturbed as the DNC’s Middle East Working Group proceeds at a snail’s pace.

From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2026

I have no idea why on days one, two, three or four we see the game played at a snail's pace.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2025

Disaster was averted thanks to a defense that stiffened and an offense that started moving the ball at something beyond a snail’s pace.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2024

The railway line, China’s flagship infrastructure project in the region, has been snarled by regulatory and other issues and progressed at a snail’s pace during five years of work.

From New York Times ● May 9, 2024

The bucket made its way around the room at a snail’s pace as each man studied the contents and chose a small portion of discarded potato or bread or gristle.

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson