slack
1slow, 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).
in a slack manner.
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.
to be remiss in respect to (some matter, duty, right, etc.); leave undone; shirk: He slacked the most important part.
to make loose, or less tense or taut, as a rope; loosen (often followed by off or out).
to slake (lime).
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.
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
1Other 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 |
Other words from slack
- slack·ing·ly, adverb
- slackly, adverb
- slackness, noun
- un·slacked, adjective
- un·slack·ing, adjective
Other definitions for slack (2 of 2)
the fine screenings of coal.
Origin of slack
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
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.
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 | FiveThirtyEightIf 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 PostWhen 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 OnlineThe 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 | THE DAILY BEASTWithout slacking his speed he shifted the reins to his left hand.
Mrs. Skaggs's Husbands and Other Stories | Bret HarteIf 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 PatchinTo him, who wished to go to war, the very thought of slacking and cowardice seemed preposterous—impossible.
Tom Slade with the Colors | Percy K. FitzhughPassing 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)
/ (slæk) /
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)
in a slack manner
a part of a rope, etc, that is slack: take 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
to neglect (one's duty, etc)
(often foll by off) to loosen; to make slack
chem a less common word for slake (def. 3)
Origin of slack
1- See also slacks
Derived forms of slack
- slackly, adverb
- slackness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for slack (2 of 2)
/ (slæk) /
small pieces of coal with a high ash content
Origin of slack
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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