slack

[ slak ]

/ slæk /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: slack / slacked / slacker / slacking on Thesaurus.com

adjective

not tight, taut, firm, or tense; a slack rope.

negligent; careless; remiss: slack proofreading.

slow, sluggish, or indolent: He is slack in answering letters.

not active or busy; dull; not brisk: the slack season in an industry.

moving very slowly, as the tide, wind, or water.

Phonetics. weak; lax.

Nautical. easy (def. 15a).

adverb

in a slack manner.

noun

a slack condition or part.

the part of a rope, sail, or the like, that hangs loose, without strain upon it.

a decrease in activity, as in business or work: a sudden slack in output.

a period of decreased activity.

Geography. a cessation in a strong flow, as of a current at its turn.

a depression between hills, in a hillside, or in the land surface.

Prosody. (in sprung rhythm) the unaccented syllable or syllables.

British Dialect. a morass; marshy ground; a hollow or dell with soft, wet ground at the bottom.

verb (used with object)

to be remiss in respect to (some matter, duty, right, etc.); leave undone; shirk: He slacked the most important part.

to make or allow to become less active, vigorous, intense, etc.; relax (efforts, labor, speed, etc.); lessen; moderate (often followed by up).

to make loose, or less tense or taut, as a rope; loosen (often followed by off or out).

to slake (lime).

verb (used without object)

to be remiss; shirk one's duty or part.

to become less active, vigorous, rapid, etc. (often followed by up): Business is slacking up.

to become less tense or taut, as a rope; to ease off.

to become slaked, as lime.

OTHER WORDS FOR slack

1 relaxed.

2 lax, lazy, thoughtless.

3 dilatory, tardy, listless.

4 idle, quiet.

11 slowing, relaxation.

17 neglect.

18 reduce, slacken.

21 malinger.

See synonyms for slack 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 slack

take up the slack,

to pull in or make taut a loose section of a rope, line, wire, etc.: Take up the slack before releasing the kite.
to provide or compensate for something that is missing or incomplete: New sources of oil will take up the slack resulting from the embargo.

Origin of slack

First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective slak(e), slakke, Old English slæc, sleac; cognate with Old Norse slakr, Old High German slach, Latin laxus lax

OTHER WORDS FROM slack

slack·ing·ly, adverbslackly, adverbslackness, nounun·slacked, adjective

un·slack·ing, adjective

Other definitions for slack (2 of 2)

slack²

[ slak ]

/ slæk /

noun

the fine screenings of coal.

Origin of slack

First recorded in 1200–50; of uncertain origin; compare Middle English sleck “mud, slush, stony soil,” Flemish slecke, Middle Dutch slacke, slecke, Dutch slak, Low German slak(ke), German Schlacke “dross (of metal)”

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

How to use slack in a sentence

So there we stood, slack-jawed, clutching our skateboards like rosary beads, each of us planning to recover the jacket — a priceless artifact in our minds, our own Shroud of Turin — before any of the others did.
My Friend, the Murderer|Eugene Robinson|November 24, 2020|Ozy
Cut yourself some slack for not bookmarking this game when the schedule was released.
With A Win Over Ohio State, Indiana Would Be In The Big Ten Driver’s Seat. Wait, What?|Josh Planos|November 18, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
If no part of Lee’s initial sales pitch grabbed you, it’s safe to say this game isn’t for you at all, and you shouldn’t expect the story to pick up the slack.
‘Godfall’ impressions: A solid, sometimes boring adventure|Gene Park|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
When Harrington fell, there was a healthy loop of slack in the rope.
Behind the Scenes of Emily Harrington's Historic Climb|Andrew Bisharat|November 6, 2020|Outside Online

The included power plug is 47 inches long, so you’ll have a fair amount of slack.
Home and office products that make sure-fire gifts|PopSci Commerce Team|October 8, 2020|Popular-Science
On the other hand, Speedman spent his late 20s in New York, slacking off.
‘The Vow’: What Happened to ‘Felicity’ Hunk Scott Speedman?|Ramin Setoodeh|February 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Without slacking his speed he shifted the reins to his left hand.
Mrs. Skaggs's Husbands and Other Stories|Bret Harte
If labor should try slacking, as it did in Russia, the economic state would starve to death and the workers die with it.
The Iron Puddler|James J. Davis
"All right," laughed Big-foot, slacking up and tossing the reins back over the pony's neck.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas|Frank Gee Patchin
To him, who wished to go to war, the very thought of slacking and cowardice seemed preposterous—impossible.
Tom Slade with the Colors|Percy K. Fitzhugh
Passing a hollow without slacking speed, he was soon on the open ground, and Perdriel lay before him.
Ponce de Leon|William Pilling

British Dictionary definitions for slack (1 of 2)

slack¹

/ (slæk) /

adjective

not tight, tense, or taut

negligent or careless

(esp of water, etc) moving slowly

(of trade, etc) not busy

phonetics another term for lax (def. 4)

adverb

in a slack manner

noun

a part of a rope, etc, that is slacktake in the slack

a period of decreased activity

a patch of water without current
a slackening of a current

prosody (in sprung rhythm) the unstressed syllable or syllables

verb

to neglect (one's duty, etc)

(often foll by off) to loosen; to make slack

chem a less common word for slake (def. 3)

Derived forms of slack

slackly, adverbslackness, noun

Word Origin for slack

Old English slæc, sleac; related to Old High German slah, Old Norse slākr bad, Latin laxus lax

British Dictionary definitions for slack (2 of 2)

slack²

/ (slæk) /

noun

small pieces of coal with a high ash content

Word Origin for slack

C15: probably from Middle Low German slecke; related to Dutch slak, German Schlacke dross

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

slack

OTHER WORDS FOR slack

Idioms about slack

Origin of slack

OTHER WORDS FROM slack

Other definitions for slack (2 of 2)

Origin of slack

Words related to slack

How to use slack in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for slack (1 of 2)

Derived forms of slack

Word Origin for slack

British Dictionary definitions for slack (2 of 2)

Word Origin for slack