slowly
Americanadverb
Usage
What is a basic definition of slowly? Slowly is used when something is happening in a slow manner or in a way that lacks speed or quickness. Slowly is the adverb form of the word slow, which describes something as lacking speed. If you walk slowly, for example, you are not moving quickly. Things that happen slowly take much longer to occur than things that happen quickly.
- Real-life examples: Sloths, snails, and turtles move very slowly. For safety, it is a good idea to drive slowly past schools or construction sites. For most people, time moves slowly when they are bored, at school, or at work.
- Used in a sentence: She picked up the broken glass slowly and carefully.
Commonly Confused
See slow.
Etymology
Origin of slowly
First recorded in 1310–50; Middle English slawliche, slawly; see slow ( def. ), -ly ( def. )
Explanation
When you take a long, long time to do something, you act slowly. And when things move at a low speed, they go slowly, like the storm clouds that slowly roll in during your school picnic. A new driver tends to drive slowly, foot just barely pressing the gas pedal, just as someone learning a new language often speaks slowly, taking extra time to choose the right words. You may have also noticed that time seems to move slowly when you're doing something incredibly boring. In all of these cases, the adverb slowly describes something occurring at a low speed.
Vocabulary lists containing slowly
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.
"Slowly but surely, there is, of course, some activity going on, but overall, we're still far behind having a control on the situation," he told the BBC.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Slowly throttling wells and using idle ships as floating storage are further helping Iran stretch the clock.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Slowly, “Undertone” reveals itself to be all style and very little substance, with enough baffling character choices to make you groan.
From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026
Slowly rising incomes have also led to the emergence of a middle class, estimated at over 300 million.
From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026
Slowly, gradually, power returned to her arms, then her legs, and then she sat up and hugged her son.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
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.
