low

[ loh ]

/ loʊ /

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See synonyms for low on Thesaurus.com

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

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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

MORE ABOUT LOWEST

What does lowest mean?

Lowest describes something that is literally the closest to the floor or ground, as in The lowest chair in the room was just the right size for a toddler.

Lowest also describes something that is figuratively closest to the bottom or the least of its kind, such as the lowest grade or the lowest income.

Lowest is the superlative form of the adjective low. A superlative describes the most extreme level of comparison of an adjective, as with strongest, weakest, and stormiest. When something is more low than anything else in its category it is the lowest.

Example: That was the lowest blow of the night; very uncalled for.

Where does lowest come from?

The first records of the term low come from around 1125. It comes from the Old High German term laege, akin to lie, as in “resting on the ground.” Lowest combines low and the suffix –est.

Lowest is used in a lot of ways to define the bottom or most basic in a series. Lowest is often used in finances in phrases like “the lowest estimate” or “the lowest possible rate.” Lowest can also refer to something as unsatisfactory, such as the lowest possible opinion on something.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for lowest?

What are some words that share a root or word element with lowest?

What are some words that often get used in discussing lowest?

How is lowest used in real life?

Lowest is often used to describe something that is the worst or the bottom.

Neymar has the lowest pain threshold of any player in World Cups since Opta stats began.

— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) July 2, 2018

being ridiculed for having the lowest uber rating at the dinner table

— michael clifford (@Michael5SOS) July 12, 2017

Attention CEOs:

I'm one of you. In 2015 I made 33x more than our lowest-paid employee.

I took a big pay cut & raised our minimum wage to $70k. Now our top exec makes 4x more than our lowest-paid employee.

In that span, our business tripled. Amazing what happy employees can do.

— Dan Price (@DanPriceSeattle) December 26, 2019

Try using lowest!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for lowest?

A. smallest
B. least
C. slightest
D. highest

How to use low in a sentence

In fact, in a recent study of their users internationally, it was the lowest priority for most.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We kind of reduce things to the lowest common denominator, in some ways for good and in some ways not for good.
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination|Mindy Farabee|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Guinea, with 25 percent, recorded the lowest adult literacy rate in the world at that time.
The Radio Battle to Educate Ebola’s Kids|Abby Haglage|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The home care industry, one of the fastest-growing and lowest-paying sectors in the U.S., is over 90% female.
Care Providers Fight for $15 and a Union|Jasmin Almodovar, Shirley Thompson|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The whole industry is now making its lowest revenues ever, since the RIAA started counting in 1973.
Death of the Author by Viral Infection: In Defense of Taylor Swift, Digital Doomsayer|Arthur Chu|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And lifting them carefully one off the other, he took out a deal box that had stood in the lowest stratum.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
I cannot call that peculiarly manly, which are the peculiar pursuits of the lowest of our species.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
He was a weaver in the lowest circumstances, who raised himself to distinction by close application to science.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Although bordering on the lowest state of destitution—and that is a remarkably low state in London!
The Garret and the Garden|R.M. Ballantyne
"Long bright leaf" is considered the finest, while that known as "Luga" is the poorest and lowest grade of leaf.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.

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)

MORE ABOUT LOWEST

What does lowest mean?

Where does lowest come from?

Did you know … ?

How is lowest used in real life?

Try using lowest!

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