slowness
Americannoun
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the slow rate of movement of something; lack of speed or rapidity.
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lack of intelligence; poor ability to perceive, understand, realize, etc.; dullness.
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lack of activity or energy; the quality of not being busy; slackness.
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the quality of being unexciting or uninteresting; boring or draggy quality.
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the quality of being gradual, deliberate, or unhurried.
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the fact or state of falling behind the standard time, as of a clock.
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.
He pointed to "slowness, bureaucracy and norms that impede those who want to produce" as well as "decisions that we have put off."
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
“Henry Ford Hospital” from 1932 offers an unsparing look at the artist following a miscarriage, in which blood vessels fan out like ribbons and objects like snails hint at the slowness of her recovery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
It’s a slowness she’d never had to confront, in a language she doesn’t speak.
From Slate ● Feb. 1, 2026
This mental cloudiness is often called brain fog and while it isn't a medical condition in itself, it refers to a collection of cognitive symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and mental slowness.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2025
Seconds passed in unbearable slowness as darkness sank in.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
