low

[ loh ]

/ loʊ /

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adjective, low·er, low·est.

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.Compare high (def. 23).

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, low·er, low·est.

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; lights 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. Compare high (def. 37).

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR low

13 exhausted, sinking, expiring, dying.

17 quiet.

18 deep.

22 dispirited, unhappy, sad.

23 lowly, insignificant, obscure.

26 ignoble, degraded, servile.

27 rude, crude.

See synonyms for low on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR low

1-3 high.

See antonyms for low on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about low

lay low,

to overpower or kill; defeat: to lay one's attackers low.
to knock down; make prostrate.
Informal. to lie low.

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.

Origin of low

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 lie²

synonym study for low

27. See mean².

OTHER WORDS FROM low

lowish, adjectivelowness, nouno·ver·low·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH low

low , lowly

Other definitions for low (2 of 4)

low²

[ loh ]

/ loʊ /

verb (used without object), lowed, low·ing.

to utter the deep, low sound characteristic of cattle; moo.

verb (used with object), lowed, low·ing.

to utter by or as by lowing.

noun

the act or the sound of lowing: the low of a distant herd.

Origin of low

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”

Other definitions for low (3 of 4)

low³

or lowe

[ loh ]

/ loʊ /

verb (used without object), lowed, low·ing.British Dialect.

to burn; blaze.

(of a person) to feel strong emotions; glow with excitement.

Origin of low

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 light¹

Other definitions for low (4 of 4)

Low

[ 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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use low in a sentence

If you have a low tolerance for tweeness, the first episode might set your teeth on edge.
One Good Thing: Netflix’s Dash & Lily is a sweet TV rom-com with a Christmas twist|Emily VanDerWerff|November 20, 2020|Vox
So the company targets markets with low online education penetration rates, such as emerging markets.
AllRight, an English language learning app for children, raises $5M from Genesis Investments|Mike Butcher|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
This kind of word-of-mouth helped marketing costs at the company low.
Meet the unicorn founder that braved war zones and missed meetings to make his mark on the startup world|Lucinda Shen|November 20, 2020|Fortune
Its low cost cuts both ways—less expensive ingredients mean less profit from recycling operations.
New “targeted healing” approach rejuvenates run-down battery materials|Scott K. Johnson|November 19, 2020|Ars Technica

While coronavirus infections continue to rise in the Washington region, the spike in cases has been lower than in much of the country.
Smithsonian museums, zoo to close as coronavirus caseload in D.C. region hits record for 16th day|Dana Hedgpeth, Ovetta Wiggins|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
My cow lowed dismally, and wouldn't eat, when I sold her calf; but she soon got used to doing without it.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 101, March, 1866|Various
Mars Buck he loaded up his gun en 'lowed he's gwyne to fetch home a Shepherdson or bust.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
I sees you pitchin' eberyt'ing away; I jes put this jug in hyar, 'ca'se I 'lowed you'd want some.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various
Buck begun to cry and rip, and 'lowed that him and his cousin Joe (that was the other young chap) would make up for this day yet.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Jim Wilson allus 'lowed thar must be gold in these here mountains, 'cause they're so dad burned rough.
The Shepherd of the Hills|Harold Bell Wright

British Dictionary definitions for low (1 of 3)

low¹

/ (ləʊ) /

adjective

having a relatively small distance from base to top; not tall or higha low hill; a low building

situated at a relatively short distance above the ground, sea level, the horizon, or other reference positionlow cloud
(in combination)low-lying

involving or containing a relatively small amount of somethinga 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 degreelow temperature

(of numbers) small
(of measurements) expressed in small numbers

unfavourablea low opinion

not advanced in evolutiona low form of plant life

deepa low obeisance

coarse or vulgara 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 bosoma low neckline

with a hushed tone; quiet or softa low whisper

of relatively small price or monetary valuelow 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 fatherCompare high (def. 22)

(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, etcto bring someone low

at a low pitch; deepto sing low

at a low price; cheaplyto buy low

lay low

to cause to fall by a blow
to overcome, defeat or destroy

lie low

to keep or be concealed or quiet
to wait for a favourable opportunity

noun

a low position, level, or degreean all-time low

an area of relatively low atmospheric pressure, esp a depression

electronics the voltage level in a logic circuit corresponding to logical zeroCompare high (def. 40)

Derived forms of low

lowness, noun

Word Origin for low

C12 lāh, from Old Norse lāgr; related to Old Frisian lēch low, Dutch laag

British Dictionary definitions for low (2 of 3)

low²

/ (ləʊ) /

noun Also: lowing

the sound uttered by cattle; moo

verb

to make or express by a low or moo

Word Origin for low

Old English hlōwan; related to Dutch loeien, Old Saxon hlōian

British Dictionary definitions for low (3 of 3)

Low

/ (ləʊ) /

noun

Sir David. 1891–1963, British political cartoonist, born in New Zealand: created Colonel BlimpSee blimp 2

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with low

low

In addition to the idioms beginning with low

low blow
low boiling point
low man on the totem pole
low profile

also see:

at a low ebb
(low) boiling point
high and low
keep a low profile
lay someone low
lie low

low

OTHER WORDS FOR low

OPPOSITES FOR low

Idioms about low

Origin of low

synonym study for low

OTHER WORDS FROM low

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH low

Other definitions for low (2 of 4)

Origin of low

Other definitions for low (3 of 4)

or lowe

Origin of low

Other definitions for low (4 of 4)

Words related to low

How to use low in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for low (1 of 3)

Derived forms of low

Word Origin for low

British Dictionary definitions for low (2 of 3)

Word Origin for low

British Dictionary definitions for low (3 of 3)

Other Idioms and Phrases with low