low
adjective
situated, placed, or occurring not far above the ground, floor, or base.
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lowing.
low
1 American
[loh]
/ loʊ /
adjective
-
lower,
comparative
-
lowest
superlative
-
situated, placed, or occurring not far above the ground, floor, or base.
a low shelf.
- Antonyms:
- high
-
of small extent upward; not high or tall.
A low wall surrounds the property.
- Antonyms:
- high
-
not far above the horizon, as a planet.
The moon was low in the sky.
- Antonyms:
- high
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- quiet
-
Music. produced by relatively slow vibrations, as sounds; grave in pitch.
- Synonyms:
- deep
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- sad, unhappy, dispirited
-
far down in the scale of rank or estimation; humble.
of low birth.
- Synonyms:
- obscure, insignificant, lowly
-
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.
adverb
lower,
lowest
-
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.
noun
-
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.
idioms
-
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.
-
low
2
American
[loh]
/ loʊ /
verb (used without object)
lowed,
lowing
verb (used with object)
lowed,
lowing
noun
low
3
American
[loh]
/ loʊ /
Or
lowe
verb (used without object)
British Dialect.
lowed,
lowing
-
to burn; blaze.
-
(of a person) to feel strong emotions; glow with excitement.
Low
4
American
[loh]
/ loʊ /
noun
-
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.
low
1
British
/ ləʊ /
adjective
-
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
adverb
-
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
-
noun
-
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
low
2
British
/ ləʊ /
noun
verb
Low
3
British
/ ləʊ /
noun
low
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
See mean 2.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of low1
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
Origin of low2
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”
Origin of low3
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
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing low
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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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.
See Examples For:
A relative low income family is one living on less than 60% of the median national household income for that year.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
The shops near his house -- where flooding was still at chest level -- were low on stock, the 30-year-old said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
The S&P 500 reached its dot.com peak on March 24, 2000, then tumbled 49% to its bear market low in late 2002.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Those plays are easy to guard and yards after the catch are low.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
“I made the shortened biscuits myself,” Tansy said, speaking low because Aunt Maud was somewhere about the place.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Low consumer confidence, high home prices and the recently increased interest rate were all weighing on new home projections, the homebuilder said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Low thinks the book is unlikely to change many opinions, as "people have settled into their camps about how they regard Charles, how they look back on the Diana years".
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
“The new dot plot is also likely to suggest a higher probability of at least one hike next year,” said Chris Low, chief economist at FHN Financial.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Low vitamin D levels may make recovery from breast cancer surgery more painful and increase the need for opioid painkillers, according to research published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
When he left it again he wore a heavy dark-blue cloak, the gift of the township of Low Torning, whereto he was bound, for they wanted a wizard there.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
He got Billy Gilmour to sit lower in midfield, where he had time to dictate, which he absolutely did.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Once finding work, graduates with more AI-exposed degrees earned 5% lower wages compared to classmates with less AI-exposed majors, the findings showed.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
Firms are sitting on over 33,000 unsold companies, many of which were bought when interest rates were much lower.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
One of the species was named Callipallene pilosuspedes because of the long, curved spines covering the lower portions of its legs.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026
The man pulled the visor of his hat lower over his eyes; the skull-and.crossbones glinted in the sunlight.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
But he had also taught me some of Russian prison’s unwritten rules—and how I could avoid ending up in the lowest rung of its caste system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
America’s personal savings rate dropped to 2.6% in April, the lowest level since 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
On Tuesday, financials fell by about 2% in their worst showing since March, according to Dow Jones Market Data, bringing the sector to its lowest level since July.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
England's total was also the lowest they have defended in a full ODI since July 2022 – before their dismal 2023 World Cup or their winless run at last year's Champions Trophy.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Agathocles the Sicilian, who became King of Syracuse, was not only an ordinary citizen but also of the lowest and most abject condition.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
“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
He went into the shed which was the kitchen, leaning against the house, and out of its dusk an ox twisted its head from behind the corner next the door and lowed at him deeply.
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
The Dodgers wasted a splendid performance from starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who allowed four hits while striking out nine in six scoreless innings, lowing his earned-run average to 2.20.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2025
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
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.
