lower

[ loh-er ]

/ ˈloʊ ər /

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See synonyms for: lower / lowered / lowering on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to cause to descend; let or put down: to lower a flag.

to make lower in height or level: to lower the water in a canal.

to reduce in amount, price, degree, force, etc.

to make less loud: Please lower your voice.

to bring down in rank or estimation; degrade; humble; abase (oneself), as by some sacrifice of self-respect or dignity: His bad actions lowered him in my eyes.

Music. to make lower in pitch; flatten.

Phonetics. to alter the articulation of (a vowel) by increasing the distance of the tongue downward from the palate: The vowel of “clerk” is lowered to (ä) in the British pronunciation.

verb (used without object)

to become lower, grow less, or diminish, as in amount, intensity, or degree: The brook lowers in early summer. Stock prices rise and lower constantly.

to descend; sink: the sun lowering in the west.

adjective

comparative of low¹.

of or relating to those portions of a river farthest from the source.

(often initial capital letter)Stratigraphy. noting an early division of a period, system, or the like: the Lower Devonian.

noun

a denture for the lower jaw.

a lower berth.

OTHER WORDS FOR lower

1 drop, depress.

4 soften.

5 humiliate, dishonor, disgrace, debase.

8 decrease, diminish, lessen.

See synonyms for lower on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR lower

3 raise, increase.

5 elevate, ennoble.

See antonyms for lower on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of lower

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English, comparative of low¹ (adjective)

OTHER WORDS FROM lower

low·er·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby lower

lowdown, lowe, Lowell, Lowell Observatory, low-end, lower, lower 48, Lower Austria, lower bound, Lower Burrell, Lower California

Other definitions for lower (2 of 2)

lower²

[ lou-er, louuhr ]

/ ˈlaʊ ər, laʊər /

verb (used without object)

to be dark and threatening, as the sky or the weather.

to frown, scowl, or look sullen; glower: He lowers at people when he's in a bad mood.

noun

a dark, threatening appearance, as of the sky or weather.

a frown or scowl.

OTHER WORDS FOR lower

1 darken, threaten.

See synonyms for lower on Thesaurus.com

Also lour

[louuhr, lou-er] /laʊər, ˈlaʊ ər/ .

Origin of lower

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb louren “to frown, lurk”; akin to German lauern, Dutch loeren; see lurk

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

How to use lower in a sentence

A lower court had put the execution on hold, and Alabama asked the Supreme Court to step in.
Supreme Court says Alabama cannot execute inmate without his pastor present|Robert Barnes|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
The gas pumps that allow you to raise and lower your chair are fairly complex instruments, but the best desk chairs will have a smooth operation for a longer time.
Best desk chair for any home office|PopSci Commerce Team|February 11, 2021|Popular-Science
Balance ball chairs are great for lower back pain and improving postureBalance ball chairs are a great option for those looking to get a health boost throughout the workday.
Best desk chair for any home office|PopSci Commerce Team|February 11, 2021|Popular-Science
Using a lower broiler setting will still give dishes a lovely crust, but it will happen slower, and you won’t have to hover quite so anxiously by the stove.
Don’t Fear the Broiler|Elazar Sontag|February 11, 2021|Eater

Versatile heat settings also let you keep your overall thermostat lower, which is better for saving money, better for the earth, and often better for your sinuses.
Best heated throw blanket: Bundle up with these electric blankets|PopSci Commerce Team|February 11, 2021|Popular-Science
Dossi initially was listed in critical condition with wounds to his arm and lower back.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Girls raised in households with more equitable fathers show lower rates of unwanted sex.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Since then, the rising gap between the rich and middle- and lower-income families has risen to the fore.
Christie Blames Parents for Bad Economy|Monica Potts|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
States were encouraged and allowed to lower standards to make it appear they were improving.
The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future|Jonah Edelman|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I learned that he was working and living in the Lower East Side, delivering orders for an Italian restaurant and raising two kids.
Cuban Hip-Hop Was Born in Alamar|Daniel Levin|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the upper part of the stem the whorls are very close together, but they are more widely separated at the lower portion.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
First a shower of shells dropping all along the lower ridges and out over the surface of the Bay.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
There are many more good dwellings on this plain than in the rural portion of Lower Italy.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
It depends upon the fact that bile acids lower surface tension.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The eyebrows were low and thick, the upper lip was sensitive, quivering sometimes as she talked, but the lower was firm and full.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for lower (1 of 2)

lower¹

/ (ˈləʊə) /

adjective

being below one or more other thingsthe lower shelf; the lower animals

reduced in amount or valuea lower price

maths (of a limit or bound) less than or equal to one or more numbers or variables

(sometimes capital) geology denoting the early part or division of a period, system, formation, etcLower Silurian

verb

(tr) to cause to become low or on a lower level; bring, put, or cause to move down

(tr) to reduce or bring down in estimation, dignity, value, etcto lower oneself

to reduce or be reducedto lower one's confidence

(tr) to make quieterto lower the radio

(tr) to reduce the pitch of

(tr) phonetics to modify the articulation of (a vowel) by bringing the tongue further away from the roof of the mouth

(intr) to diminish or become less

Derived forms of lower

lowerable, adjective

Word Origin for lower

C12 (comparative of low 1); C17 (vb)

British Dictionary definitions for lower (2 of 2)

lower²

lour

/ (ˈlaʊə) /

verb (intr)

(esp of the sky, weather, etc) to be overcast, dark, and menacing

to scowl or frown

noun

a menacing scowl or appearance

Derived forms of lower

lowering or louring, adjectiveloweringly or louringly, adverb

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

Scientific definitions for lower

lower

[ lō′ər ]

Being an earlier division of the geological or archaeological period named. Compare upper.

lower

OTHER WORDS FOR lower

OPPOSITES FOR lower

Origin of lower

OTHER WORDS FROM lower

Words nearby lower

Other definitions for lower (2 of 2)

OTHER WORDS FOR lower

Origin of lower

Words related to lower

How to use lower in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lower (1 of 2)

Derived forms of lower

Word Origin for lower

British Dictionary definitions for lower (2 of 2)

lour

Derived forms of lower

Scientific definitions for lower