slow
Americanadjective
-
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)
verb (used without object)
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:
"Had Claudia Winkleman wanted to carry on with her chat show, it could have been a slow burn," he reflects.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
When measles started circulating last year, Kennedy was slow to endorse the MMR shot and hawked ineffective measles treatments.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
Employers are “looking and saying these increases were so high for so many years, would they please just slow down,” Wardrip said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
The absence of changes in fecal production was especially notable because semaglutide can slow digestion and cause constipation.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Duane twisted his neck around, following Magic’s sudden departure, watching the whole unexpected episode unravel before his eyes in slow motion.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
“There are some parallels here that I think we need to think about because you always want the caboose going fast, slower than the front of the engine, and that’s not what’s happening,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The researchers estimate that approximately 25% of the total solar wind exposure recorded at the Chang'e 5 landing site involved this slower flow.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
But negotiations with Canada have proceeded at a slower pace.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Policies in force climbed 7%, slower than last year’s pace of 15%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Like a motif, a subject has often changed when it reappears, sounding higher or lower, for example, or faster or slower.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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
For now, it's the slowest of retreats from the States, the memory of those early days in New York and New Jersey now dimmed, the hope of the 4-0 win over Bolivia crushed to bits.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
The U.S. is experiencing one of the slowest rates of hiring in history, especially during a period of economic expansion.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
Food inflation fell from 3% in the year to April to 2.2% in the year to May, the slowest rate of food inflation since December 2024.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
He hangs around the kitchen for a few more minutes, fixing himself the slowest peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich in recorded history and keeping one eye on Samantha at all times.
From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass
For camels this means when heat stress sets in, their metabolism slows down to limit internal heat production leading to sharp reduction in food intake resulting in lethargy and generalised fatigue.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Within this zone, the solar wind slows from its usual speed of about 400 km/s to roughly 200 km/s.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
“When everything calms down and slows down a little bit, I need to get my hearing checked out,” Ganfield said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
In-depth study of the activity’s benefits has been slowed by the same thing that always slows scientific research: There’s no money in it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Action slows to a dreamlike glide, frame by frame; the motion of a hand, a sentence spoken, fills an eternity.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
South Korea’s economic growth slowed in the second quarter after robust first-quarter, but remained resilient as brisk chip exports offset weak private consumption and construction investment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
OL slowed the growth of the abnormal fibroblasts, encouraged them to undergo apoptosis, and reduced their release of inflammatory cytokines.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
It seems the diagnosis hasn’t slowed her down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Oil prices again climbed Thursday, with Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, up four percent at $97.80 a barrel and bringing back fears of spiralling consumer prices and slowed growth globally.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
I slowed my pace, breathing harder than I probably should be for such a short jog, and I made a mental note to up my cardio training sessions.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
But if they raise interest rates to tame inflation they risk slowing growth further.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Putting rates up makes borrowing more expensive, giving people and businesses less money to spend, reducing demand for goods and slowing price rises.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Yet tech companies are showing no signs of slowing down as they release more powerful AI tools and rope in new customers in government, healthcare and other industries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
For example, in 1999 the upward revisions to earnings estimates were slowing for six months as stocks kept going higher in the late stage of the dot-com bubble.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
The leadership of the movement was growing older and slowing down.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
