snail's pace

American  

noun

1. an extremely slow rate.

   The work progresses at a snail's pace.

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snail's pace British  

noun

1. a very slow or sluggish speed or rate

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snail's pace Idioms  

1. A very slow pace, as in They're making progress with testing the new vaccine, but at a snail's pace. [c. 1400]

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Etymology

Origin of snail's pace

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

But that process moves at a snail’s pace, if it happens at all.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

Bob Blackman MP, who drafted the Act, criticised the "snail's pace" in enforcing it, adding action was needed urgently as the sector is a "ticking time bomb".

From BBC • Dec. 21, 2024

The railway line, China’s flagship infrastructure project in the region, has been snarled by regulatory and other issues and progressed at a snail’s pace during five years of work.

From New York Times • May 9, 2024

That means the economy is not in a technical recession, though it’s expanding at a snail’s pace.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 10, 2024

It filled out from left to right at a snail's pace due to the bandwidth limitations of the antique probe sending it.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir