low-lying
Americanadjective
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lying near sea level or the ground surface. low-lying land.
-
lying below the usual elevation or altitude.
Etymology
Origin of low-lying
First recorded in 1855–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The low-lying island is seriously threatened by rising sea levels, and has been a strong voice on the international stage for impoverished countries imperiled by climate change.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
Tule fog forms when heat escapes from the ground on clear, calm nights, and moisture in the air condenses into a low-lying mist.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
The authorities have urged residents in low-lying areas to move to safer ground and more than 2,000 people have had to leave their homes to seek shelter.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026
Water gathered in low-lying valleys and river channels, overflowed crater rims, and rushed through canyons.
From Science Daily • Dec. 31, 2025
It was a misty, cold evening, just dark, with a heavy low-lying fog, and even with the light on the back of the barn, it was impossible to see anything.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
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.