snail's pace

American  

noun

1. an extremely slow rate.

   The work progresses at a snail's pace.

---

snail's pace British  

noun

1. a very slow or sluggish speed or rate

---

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]

---

Etymology

Origin of snail's pace

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snail's pace

The snail's pace is intentional: as if carrying a precious Ming vase, the slow, gentle motion reduces stresses on the multi‑billion‑dollar rocket and launch tower.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026

What stands out, however, was how the prosecution moved at a snail’s pace, facilitated by U.S.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2025

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

The bucket made its way around the room at a snail’s pace as each man studied the contents and chose a small portion of discarded potato or bread or gristle.

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson