lowering

[lou-er-ing, louuh r-ing]

See more synonyms for lowering on Thesaurus.com

adjective

dark and threatening, as the sky, clouds, or weather; overcast; gloomy: lowering skies.
frowning or sullen, as the face or gaze; scowling; angry.

Also louring.

Origin of lowering

First recorded in 1300–50, lowering is from the Middle English word louring. See lower², -ing²

Related formslow·er·ing·ly, adverb

lower¹

[loh-er]

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.

Origin of lower¹

1150–1200; Middle English, comparative of low¹ (adj.)

Related formslow·er·a·ble, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for lower on Thesaurus.com

1. drop, depress. 3. decrease, diminish, lessen. 4. soften. 5. humiliate, dishonor, disgrace, debase.

Antonyms

3. raise, increase. 5. elevate, honor.

lower²

[lou-er, louuh r]

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.

Also lour.

Origin of lower²

1250–1300; Middle English lour (noun), louren (v.) to frown, lurk; akin to German lauern, Dutch loeren

Synonyms

See more synonyms for lower on Thesaurus.com

1. darken, threaten.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for lowering

Contemporary Examples

In a new video, the Kentucky Republican brags about lowering the boom on sexual harasser Bob Packwood.
And Now Mitch McConnell Is the ‘Pro-Woman’ Candidate!
Eleanor Clift
October 20, 2014
Under a lowering sky, the entourage crowds into two Hertz station wagons for the sixty mile drive to Las Cruces.
Stacks: Hitting the Note with the Allman Brothers Band
Grover Lewis
March 15, 2014
In fact, foes of abortion have opposed most every single public policy that contributes to lowering the abortion rate in America.
Thank The Pill For Abortion Rate Drop
Sally Kohn
February 3, 2014
Ted Kennedy,” the aide continued, lowering his voice to a whisper for the punch line, “dead.
The Hillary-Haters’ Book Club Will Never Run Out of Things to Read
Michelle Cottle
January 15, 2014
He was convinced that lowering income taxes—then as high as 91 percent—would spur economic growth.
The New New Left Is No New Frontier and JFK Was No Liberal
James L. Swanson, Michael F. Bishop
October 8, 2013

Historical Examples

With a lowering face he watched her descend and, his hand on the newel, confronted her.
Viviette
William J. Locke
People are not particular about lowering the blinds in the country.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
There was no lowering of the eyelids when they confessed; no hangdog look about the mouth.
The Underdog
F. Hopkinson Smith
"Sure I do," answered the Nimrod, lowering his cheek to the stock of the gun.
With Trapper Jim in the North Woods
Lawrence J. Leslie
Ghostly and dark the room became, and full of lowering shadows.
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for lowering

lower¹

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 Formslowerable, adjective

Word Origin

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

lower²

lour

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 Formslowering 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

Word Origin and History for lowering

lower

v.1

c.1600, "to descend, sink," from lower (adj.), from Middle English lahghere (c.1200), comparative of low (adj.). Transitive meaning "to let down, to cause to descend" attested from 1650s. Related: Lowered; lowering. In the sense "to cause to descend" the simple verb low (Middle English lahghenn, c.1200) was in use into the 18c.

lower

v.2

"to look dark and threatening," also lour, Middle English louren, luren "to frown" (early 13c.), "to lurk" (mid-15c.), from Old English *luran or from its cognates, Middle Low German luren, Middle Dutch loeren "lie in wait." Form perhaps assimilated to lower (1). Related: Lowered; lowering.

lower

adj.

c.1200, lahre, comparative of lah (see low (adj.)).

lowering in Science

lower

[lō′ər]

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

lowering

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Origin of lower1

Synonyms

Antonyms

lower2

Origin of lower2

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for lowering

Contemporary Examples

In a new video, the Kentucky Republican brags about lowering the boom on sexual harasser Bob Packwood.

Under a lowering sky, the entourage crowds into two Hertz station wagons for the sixty mile drive to Las Cruces.

In fact, foes of abortion have opposed most every single public policy that contributes to lowering the abortion rate in America.

Ted Kennedy,” the aide continued, lowering his voice to a whisper for the punch line, “dead.

He was convinced that lowering income taxes—then as high as 91 percent—would spur economic growth.

Historical Examples

With a lowering face he watched her descend and, his hand on the newel, confronted her.

People are not particular about lowering the blinds in the country.

There was no lowering of the eyelids when they confessed; no hangdog look about the mouth.

"Sure I do," answered the Nimrod, lowering his cheek to the stock of the gun.

Ghostly and dark the room became, and full of lowering shadows.

lower1

Word Origin

lower2

lour

Word Origin and History for lowering

lower

v.1

lower

v.2

lower

adj.

lower

Origin of lowering

lower¹

Origin of lower¹

lower²

Origin of lower²

lower¹

lower²