low

¹

[ loh ]

adjective

, low·er, low·est.

1. situated, placed, or occurring not far above the ground, floor, or base:

   a low shelf.

   Antonyms: high

2. of small extent upward; not high or tall:

   A low wall surrounds the property.

   Antonyms: high

3. not far above the horizon, as a planet:

   The moon was low in the sky.

   Antonyms: high

4. lying or being below the general level:

   low ground.

5. designating or pertaining to regions near sea level, especially near the sea:

   low countries.

6. bending or passing far downward; deep:

   a low bow.

7. (of a garment) low-necked; décolleté:

   The dress she wore was fashionably low.

8. rising but slightly from a surface:

   a low relief on a frieze.

9. of less than average or normal height or depth, as a liquid or stream:

   The river is low this time of year.

10. near the first of a series:

    a low number.

11. ranked near the beginning or bottom on some scale of measurement:

    a low income bracket.

12. indicating the bottom or the point farthest down:

    the low point in his creative life.

13. lacking in strength, energy, or vigor; feeble; weak:

    to feel low and listless.

    Synonyms: dying, exhausted

14. providing little nourishment or strength, as a diet.
15. of small number, amount, degree, force, intensity, etc.:

    low visibility; a generator with a low output.

16. indicated or represented by a low number:

    A low latitude is one relatively near the equator.

17. soft: subdued; not loud:

    a low murmur.

    Synonyms: quiet

18. Music. produced by relatively slow vibrations, as sounds; grave in pitch.

    Synonyms: deep

19. assigning or attributing little worth, value, excellence, or the like:

    a low estimate of a new book.

20. containing a relatively small amount:

    a diet low in starches.

21. nearing depletion; not adequately supplied:

    low on funds; Our stock of towels is low.

22. depressed or dejected:

    low spirits.

    Synonyms: sad, unhappy, dispirited

23. far down in the scale of rank or estimation; humble:

    of low birth.

    Synonyms: obscure, insignificant, lowly

24. of inferior quality or character:

    a low grade of fabric; a low type of intellect.

25. lacking in dignity or elevation, as of thought or expression.
26. mean, base, or disreputable:

    low tricks; low companions.

    Synonyms: ignoble, servile, degraded

27. coarse or vulgar:

    entertainment of a low sort.

    Synonyms: crude, rude

28. Boxing. struck or delivered below a contestant's belt.
29. Biology. having a relatively simple structure; not complex in organization.
30. 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 ).
31. 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.

32. Baseball. (of a pitched ball) passing the plate at a level below that of the batter's knees:

    a low curve.

33. Cards. having less value than other cards:

    a low card.

34. Metallurgy. having a relatively small amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination):

    low-carbon steel.

35. Chiefly British. holding to Low Church principles and practices.

adverb

, low·er, low·est.

1. in or to a low position, point, degree, etc.:

   The raiders crouched low in the bushes.

2. near the ground, floor, or base; not aloft:

   The plane flew low.

3. in or to a humble or abject state:

   Some live low while others live high. She swore she would bring him low.

4. in or to a condition of depletion, prostration, or death:

   The gas in the tank is running low.

5. at comparatively small cost; cheaply:

   to buy something low and sell it high.

6. at or to a low pitch, volume, intensity, etc.:

   to turn the radio low; lights turned down low.

7. in a low tone; softly: quietly:

   to speak low.

8. Archaic. far down in time; late.

noun

1. something that is low, as ground or prices:

   numerous marshy lows in the forest; the recent low in the stock market.

2. Automotive. low gear; first gear.
3. Meteorology. an atmospheric low-pressure system; cyclone. Compare high ( def 37 ).
4. Cards.
   1. the lowest trump card.
   2. a card of small value, or of lower value than other cards.
   3. the lowest score in a game.
   4. a player having such a score.
5. a point of deepest decline, vulgarity, etc.:

   a new low in tastelessness.

6. Slang. a period of intense depression or discomfort, when the effects of a drug have subsided.

low

²

[ loh ]

verb (used without object)

, lowed, low·ing.

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

verb (used with object)

, lowed, low·ing.

1. to utter by or as by lowing.

noun

1. the act or the sound of lowing:

   the low of a distant herd.

low

³

or lowe

[ loh ]

verb (used without object)

, British Dialect.

, lowed, low·ing.

1. to burn; blaze.
2. (of a person) to feel strong emotions; glow with excitement.

Low

⁴

[ loh ]

noun

1. David, 1891–1963, English political cartoonist, born in New Zealand.
2. Juliette, 1860–1927, founder of Girl Scouts in the U.S.
3. Seth, 1850–1916, U.S. political reformer, educator, and politician.

low

¹

/ ləʊ /

noun

1. the sound uttered by cattle; moo

verb

1. to make or express by a low or moo

Low

²

/ ləʊ /

noun

1. See blimp
   LowSir David18911963MBritishNew ZealandARTS AND CRAFTS: political cartoonist Sir David. 1891–1963, British political cartoonist, born in New Zealand: created Colonel Blimp See blimp 2

low

³

/ ləʊ /

adjective

1. having a relatively small distance from base to top; not tall or high

   a low hill

   a low building

2. 1. situated at a relatively short distance above the ground, sea level, the horizon, or other reference position

      low cloud

   2. ( in combination )

      low-lying

3. 1. involving or containing a relatively small amount of something

      a low supply

   2. ( in combination )

      low-pressure

4. 1. having little value or quality
   2. ( in combination )

      low-grade

5. of less than the usual or expected height, depth, or degree

   low temperature

6. 1. (of numbers) small
   2. (of measurements) expressed in small numbers
7. unfavourable

   a low opinion

8. not advanced in evolution

   a low form of plant life

9. deep

   a low obeisance

10. coarse or vulgar

    a low conversation

11. 1. inferior in culture or status
    2. ( in combination )

       low-class

12. in a physically or mentally depressed or weakened state
13. designed so as to reveal the wearer's neck and part of the bosom

    a low neckline

14. with a hushed tone; quiet or soft

    a low whisper

15. of relatively small price or monetary value

    low cost

16. music relating to or characterized by a relatively low pitch
17. (of latitudes) situated not far north or south of the equator
18. having little or no money
19. abject or servile
20. See high
    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
21. (of a gear) providing a relatively low forward speed for a given engine speed
22. usually capital of or relating to the Low Church

adverb

1. in a low position, level, degree, intensity, etc

   to bring someone low

2. at a low pitch; deep

   to sing low

3. at a low price; cheaply

   to buy low

4. lay low
   lay low
   1. to cause to fall by a blow
   2. to overcome, defeat or destroy
5. lie low
   lie low
   1. to keep or be concealed or quiet
   2. to wait for a favourable opportunity

noun

1. a low position, level, or degree

   an all-time low

2. an area of relatively low atmospheric pressure, esp a depression
3. See high
   electronics the voltage level in a logic circuit corresponding to logical zero Compare high

Derived Forms

• ˈlowness, noun

Other Words From

• lowish adjective
• lowness noun
• over·lowness noun

Word History and Origins

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”; light ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of low¹

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

Origin of low²

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. lay low,
   1. to overpower or kill; defeat:

      to lay one's attackers low.

   2. to knock down; make prostrate.
   3. Informal. to lie low.
2. lie low,
   1. to conceal oneself:

      He had to lie low for a while.

   2. to do nothing until the right opportunity develops; bide one's time:

      Until the dispute is settled, you would do best to lie low.

More idioms and phrases containing low

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

Synonym Study

See mean ².

Example Sentences

Rice cakes, while low in fat, are also low in most other nutrients and may have less fiber than similar snacking options like crackers.

From Eater

The decision partially upheld a lower-court decision to remove Walker from the ballot, but it reversed that court’s decision to keep Hawkins on.

From Washington Post

At low temperatures, most atoms align, magnetizing the material.

From Quanta Magazine

The Commerce Department defines Opportunity Zones as low-income census tracts “where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.”

From Fortune

It also says it will keep rates low until inflation averages 2% over an unspecified period.

From Fortune

The pulps brought new readers to serious fiction, making it less intimidating with alluring art and low prices.

From The Daily Beast

Fleshy breasts taunted him from low bikini tops, and fleshy thighs sloped from bikini bottoms.

From The Daily Beast

“He has to really stay on the down low, he has to make sure that he blends in,” Ney told the Beast.

From The Daily Beast

Like him, they identified the Airbus A320 as an airplane extremely well fitted to low cost airline operations in Asia.

From The Daily Beast

Malaysian-based entrepreneur Tony Fernandes has turned AirAsia into the most successful low cost airline in southeast Asia.

From The Daily Beast

In their shelter, Brion and Ulv crouched low and wondered why the attack didn't come.

From Project Gutenberg

It is low in chronic interstitial nephritis, diabetes insipidus, and many functional nervous disorders.

From Project Gutenberg

The lack of bill buyers in foreign countries who will quote as low rates on dollar as on sterling bills.

From Project Gutenberg

In pneumonia chlorids are constantly very low, and in some cases are absent entirely.

From Project Gutenberg

Suddenly she stopped laughing, and said in a low voice, "You don't happen to have a beefsteak about you, do you?"

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cheap
• deficient
• inadequate
• insignificant
• little
• meager
• moderate
• modest
• nominal
• paltry
• poor
• reasonable
• small
• sparse