slow
Americanadjective
-
slower,
comparative
-
slowest
superlative
-
moving or proceeding with little or less than usual speed or velocity.
a slow train.
- Synonyms:
- unhurried
- Antonyms:
- fast
-
characterized by lack of speed.
a slow pace.
- Synonyms:
- unhurried
- Antonyms:
- fast
-
taking or requiring a comparatively long time for completion.
a slow meal; a slow trip.
- Antonyms:
- fast
-
requiring or taking a long time for growing, changing, or occurring; gradual.
a plant of slow growth.
-
made, created, or done in a careful, thorough, or traditional way in order to ensure such benefits as quality, environmental sustainability, or time for mental reflection: What's known as slow journalism is an approach to reporting that avoids superficial headlines and instead focuses on in-depth storytelling and a more considered analysis of events.
Give slow tourism a try as you leisurely explore this charming island, soak in the surrounding nature, and savor local encounters.
What's known as slow journalism is an approach to reporting that avoids superficial headlines and instead focuses on in-depth storytelling and a more considered analysis of events.
-
sluggish in nature, disposition, or function.
- Synonyms:
- slothful, lazy, indolent, dilatory, sluggardly
-
dull of perception or understanding; mentally dull.
a slow child.
- Synonyms:
- dense
-
not prompt, readily disposed, or in haste (usually followed by to or an infinitive).
slow to anger; slow to take offense.
-
burning or heating with little speed or intensity, as a fire or an oven.
-
slack; not busy.
The market was slow today.
-
having some quality that retards speed or causes movement, progress, work, etc., to be accomplished at less than the usual or expected rate of speed: a slow road.
a slow, careful worker;
a slow road.
-
running at less than the proper rate of speed or registering less than the proper time, as a clock.
-
passing heavily or dragging, as time.
It's been a slow afternoon.
-
not progressive; behind the times: a slow town.
-
dull, humdrum, uninteresting, or tedious.
What a slow party!
- Synonyms:
- boring
-
Photography. requiring long exposure, as by having a small lens diameter or low film sensitivity.
a slow lens or film.
-
(of the surface of a race track) sticky from a fairly recent rain and in the process of drying out.
adverb
verb (used with object)
-
slows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
slowed,
past participle, past
-
slowing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
slows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
slowed,
past participle, past
-
slowing
present participle
adjective
-
performed or occurring during a comparatively long interval of time
-
lasting a comparatively long time
a slow journey
-
characterized by lack of speed
a slow walker
-
(prenominal) adapted to or productive of slow movement
the slow lane of a motorway
-
(of a clock, etc) indicating a time earlier than the correct time
-
given to or characterized by a leisurely or lazy existence
a slow town
-
not readily responsive to stimulation; intellectually unreceptive
a slow mind
-
dull or uninteresting
the play was very slow
-
not easily aroused
a slow temperament
-
lacking promptness or immediacy
a slow answer
-
unwilling to perform an action or enter into a state
slow to anger
-
behind the times
-
(of trade, etc) unproductive; slack
-
(of a fire) burning weakly
-
(of an oven) cool
-
photog requiring a relatively long time of exposure to produce a given density
a slow lens
-
sport (of a track, etc) tending to reduce the speed of the ball or the competitors
-
cricket (of a bowler, etc) delivering the ball slowly, usually with spin
adverb
verb
Commonly Confused
As an adverb, slow has two forms, slow and slowly. Slowly appeared first in the 15th century; slow came into use shortly thereafter. Both are standard today in certain uses. Originally, slow was used both preceding and following the verb it modified. Today, it is used chiefly in imperative constructions with short verbs of motion ( drive, run, turn, walk, etc.), and it follows the verb: Drive slow. Don't walk so slow. This use is more common in speech than in writing, although it occurs widely on traffic and road signs. Slow also combines with present participles in forming adjectives: slow-burning; slow-moving. In this use it is standard in all varieties of speech and writing. Slowly is by far the more common form of the adverb in writing. In both speech and writing it is the usual form in preverb position ( He slowly drove down the street. The couple slowly strolled into the park ) and following verbs that are not imperatives ( He drove slowly down the street. The couple strolled slowly through the park ). See also quick, sure.
Synonym Usage
Slow, deliberate, gradual, leisurely mean unhurried and not happening rapidly. That which is slow acts or moves without haste or rapidity: a slow procession of cars. Deliberate implies the slowness that marks careful consideration before and while acting: a deliberate and calculating manner. Gradual suggests the slowness of something that advances one step at a time: a gradual improvement in service. That which is leisurely moves with the slowness allowed by ample time or the absence of pressure: an unhurried and leisurely stroll. See dull.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
overslownessnoun
-
slownessnoun
-
unslownessnoun
-
overslowadjective
-
ultraslowadjective
-
unslowadjective
-
unslowedadjective
-
overslowlyadverb
-
slowlyadverb
-
ultraslowlyadverb
-
unslowlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
slowsimple
-
slowssimple
-
have slowedperfect
-
has slowedperfect
-
am slowingprogressive
-
are slowingprogressive
-
is slowingprogressive
-
have been slowingperfect progressive
-
has been slowingperfect progressive
Past
-
slowedsimple
-
had slowedperfect
-
was slowingprogressive
-
were slowingprogressive
-
had been slowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of slow
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English slāw “sluggish, dull”; cognate with Dutch sleeuw; cf. sloth
Explanation
Slow things don't move fast, but take a while to get where they're going or do what they're doing. Traveling on a slow train might be fun, but you'll get to California faster on a plane. If it takes you a long time to finish a book, you're a slow reader, and if it takes years to become fluent in a foreign language, you can call it a slow process. Slow music is relaxing, with a leisurely beat. Sometimes slow means "boring or dull," like a slow movie plot, or "running behind," like the slow clock on the wall in your math class. As a verb, slow means "to reduce speed or intensity."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Unemployment levels have fluctuated throughout the summer from a mixture of slow hiring with relatively few major rounds of layoffs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Healthy habits, along with medical treatments when needed, may also help slow the condition from getting worse.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
For example, "when there's poor internet connection, response time will be very slow".
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
"It adds to the overall inflationary impact," he said, adding that in the longer-term the risk was higher inflation could slow economic growth.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
I feel his heartbeat slow, his lungs expand.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
It's on track to meet the 2027 goal in Europe, though sales in the US have been slower.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
"Our work indicates that we could use slightly slower initial shocks and still achieve full melting of the diamond in our NIF implosions," said Millot.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
Income and corporate tax rates across the globe have continued their decline since the 1980s, though at a slower pace in recent decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Earnings-growth momentum is slowing: EPS estimates are rising at a slower rate than they were three months ago.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
He clenched his teeth at the thought of them but kept pulling himself along with an arm that grew heavier and slower with every stroke.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
Sales at the US retail giant Walmart grew at their slowest pace for more than six years in the most recent quarter, suggesting American shoppers are under strain.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Builders pulled back on constructing new homes in July, dropping the pace of newly built single-family homes to the slowest level in nearly four years.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
China's economy grew 4.3 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, the slowest pace in more than three years, official data showed this month.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
China’s economy just posted its slowest quarterly growth in three years—4.3%, missing forecasts, with fixed-asset investment down and consumption still limp.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Trains weren’t built for speed, but, as old as this one was, it was probably the slowest train I’ve ever been on, especially after it started climbing.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
Canada’s housing market has picked up in recent months but is still widely expected to remain soft through this year as economic and trade uncertainty linger and population growth slows sharply.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
That said, Arya noted that there are still risks for Nvidia if demand for AI slows, which could put pressure on its growth rate and balance sheet.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
"The box office generally slows during the second half of August as kids start returning to school, but right now business remains extremely strong," said industry analyst David A. Gross.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
As it enters Assam's vast floodplains, home to some 28 million people and hemmed in by hills, it slows and deposits sediment, fuelling erosion and floods.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Just as I'm debating what I am, the truck slows down.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
"If we're all marching towards a cliff edge, they've sort of slightly slowed down that progress, but they haven't fundamentally changed its direction," added Carr-West.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
In animal models, the therapy slowed the growth of pancreatic tumors by selectively activating T cells that fight cancer.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
It is highest rate of inflation since March, but some price rises have slowed: food inflation, at 1.3%, is at its lowest rate for close to five years.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Second-quarter growth likely slowed to 1.6% compared with the same period a year ago from the 2.8% expansion seen in the prior quarter, Maybank economist Erica Tay said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The river opened up this far down, and the mud and water slowed as it took up more space.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
China's leaders are seeking to spark new life into an economy that has faced slowing growth for years.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
He said that the potential of slowing momentum for AI companies reduces the “existential perceived threat” that AI could kill software-as-a-service businesses like ServiceNow.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
They believe that NAB’s revenue growth is slowing and that it has limited flexibility on costs or capital.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
While cash use continues to decline, the data suggests that the fall is slowing and that notes and coins will remain an important payment option for many people a decade from now.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Yet, in interviews with police officers who have been involved with shootings, these same details appear again and again: extreme visual clarity, tunnel vision, diminished sound, and the sense that time is slowing down.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
