low
1 Americanadjective
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lower,
comparative
-
lowest
superlative
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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
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not far above the horizon, as a planet.
The moon was low in the sky.
- Antonyms:
- high
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lying or being below the general level.
low ground.
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designating or pertaining to regions near sea level, especially near the sea.
low countries.
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bending or passing far downward; deep.
a low bow.
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(of a garment) low-necked; décolleté.
The dress she wore was fashionably low.
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rising but slightly from a surface.
a low relief on a frieze.
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of less than average or normal height or depth, as a liquid or stream.
The river is low this time of year.
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near the first of a series.
a low number.
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ranked near the beginning or bottom on some scale of measurement.
a low income bracket.
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indicating the bottom or the point farthest down.
the low point in his creative life.
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lacking in strength, energy, or vigor; feeble; weak.
to feel low and listless.
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providing little nourishment or strength, as a diet.
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of small number, amount, degree, force, intensity, etc..
low visibility;
a generator with a low output.
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indicated or represented by a low number.
A low latitude is one relatively near the equator.
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soft: subdued; not loud.
a low murmur.
- Synonyms:
- quiet
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Music. produced by relatively slow vibrations, as sounds; grave in pitch.
- Synonyms:
- deep
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assigning or attributing little worth, value, excellence, or the like.
a low estimate of a new book.
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containing a relatively small amount.
a diet low in starches.
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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.
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Boxing. struck or delivered below a contestant's belt.
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Biology. having a relatively simple structure; not complex in organization.
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Phonetics. (of a vowel) articulated with a relatively large opening above the tongue, as the vowels of hat, hut, hot, ought, etc.
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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.
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Baseball. (of a pitched ball) passing the plate at a level below that of the batter's knees.
a low curve.
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Cards. having less value than other cards.
a low card.
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Metallurgy. having a relatively small amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination).
low-carbon steel.
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Chiefly British. holding to Low Church principles and practices.
adverb
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in or to a low position, point, degree, etc..
The raiders crouched low in the bushes.
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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.
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in or to a condition of depletion, prostration, or death.
The gas in the tank is running low.
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at comparatively small cost; cheaply.
to buy something low and sell it high.
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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
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something that is low, as ground or prices.
numerous marshy lows in the forest;
the recent low in the stock market.
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Automotive. low gear; first gear.
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Meteorology. an atmospheric low-pressure system; cyclone.
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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.
-
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a point of deepest decline, vulgarity, etc..
a new low in tastelessness.
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Slang. a period of intense depression or discomfort, when the effects of a drug have subsided.
idioms
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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.
-
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb (used without object)
-
to burn; blaze.
-
(of a person) to feel strong emotions; glow with excitement.
noun
-
David, 1891–1963, English political cartoonist, born in New Zealand.
-
Juliette, 1860–1927, founder of Girl Scouts in the U.S.
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Seth, 1850–1916, U.S. political reformer, educator, and politician.
adjective
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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
-
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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
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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
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(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
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to overcome, defeat or destroy
-
-
-
to keep or be concealed or quiet
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to wait for a favourable opportunity
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noun
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a low position, level, or degree
an all-time low
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an area of relatively low atmospheric pressure, esp a depression
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electronics the voltage level in a logic circuit corresponding to logical zero Compare high
noun
verb
noun
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:
For the year, the company now expects sales growth of about 10%, or at the low end of its previously issued forecast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Micron stock has an incredibly low price-to-earnings multiple.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
“My other complaint is that 5.75% seems a bit low for the loss of liquidity,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Some well-studied white dwarfs have unexpectedly large radii for their relatively low masses.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
I stay low to the ground, sneak along the back of Mrs. Jones’s yard until I reach the rear of Dad’s and climb the three crooked cement steps to the door.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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Low said that while the sell-off reflected company-specific stories, the market was reading them as signs that the entire sector would slow.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
Chris Low, from investment management firm FHN Financial, said the bulk of what was happening in the stock market was in reaction to some of the biggest tech players such as Amazon and Google.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Low testosterone can contribute to several health problems, and an unhealthy diet may make some of those risks even worse.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
Low European gas storage levels and mandated restocking are supporting prices, raising the risk of stronger competition with Asian buyers and potential price spikes over winter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Low tide smells mud-black and tangy, but high tide smells clean and salty.
From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord
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But longer-run inflation expectations, which ticked just slightly lower this month, have stayed relatively steady over the past year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
But after the outrage over shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by immigration agents in Minneapolis in January prompted the White House to roll back the policy, he has kept a lower profile.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Paying cash might even make it easier for you to get the seller to lower their price.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Kelly notes that the effective tax rate on corporate profits averaged 28.1% between 1985 and 1994, and was recently 10 percentage points lower.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Boy and dog moved their heads in unison as they scanned the lower shelves, which were filled with plastic containers.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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It hit its lowest level on record of 44.8 in May, in data stretching back to the 1950s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
But what if valuations are at their lowest in years, and at levels that had previously marked major market bottoms, even as fundamentals still appeared to be improving at a relatively fast rate?
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
After her diagnosis, Laura began to volunteer with the perinatal mental health team "as a way to give back" to the NHS, which she said had carried her through "the lowest time of her life".
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Sales remained "resilient", driven by hybrid vehicles, particularly in the United States, the company said, as well as the weakening of the yen which this summer fell to its lowest level in four decades.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
The investor in the top floor of the building received the lowest rate of interest but had the greatest assurance that his investment wouldn’t end before he wanted it to.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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“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
The cow that lowed, the man who milked, the chickens that came running and the woman who called them, the fragrance streaming from the plowed land and the plowman.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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Alsop took a painterly approach to Mahler’s many details — birdsong and bells, dewdrop harps, the lowing moo of a tuba.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 20, 2023
You can hear a gentle lowing of cows.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2022
The American landscape, however, was no longer made up of trees and cows lowing plangently at dusk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2020
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
I knew she looked just like her parents—lanky, washed-out, lipless—and that when she spoke to them they answered her in the same even, lowing rhythm of ennui and supremacy she lorded over us.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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