SLOW

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does slow mean? 

• SLOW (adjective)
  The adjective SLOW has 6 senses:

1. not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
2. at a slow tempo
3. slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
4. (used of timepieces) indicating a time earlier than the correct time
5. so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
6. (of business) not active or brisk

  Familiarity information: SLOW used as an adjective is common.

• SLOW (verb)
  The verb SLOW has 3 senses:

1. lose velocity; move more slowly
2. become slow or slower
3. cause to proceed more slowly

  Familiarity information: SLOW used as a verb is uncommon.

• SLOW (adverb)
  The adverb SLOW has 2 senses:

1. without speed ('slow' is sometimes used informally for 'slowly')
2. of timepieces

  Familiarity information: SLOW used as an adverb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SLOW (adjective)

Sense 1

slow [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

Context examples:

a slow walker / the slow lane of traffic / her steps were slow / he was slow in reacting to the news / slow but steady growth

Similar:

sluggish; sulky (with little movement; very slow)

slow-moving (moving slowly)

long-play; long-playing ((used of records) playing at a slower speed and for a longer time than earlier records)

lazy (moving slowly and gently)

drawn-out ((used of speech) uttered slowly with prolonged vowels)

dragging (passing painfully or tediously slowly)

dilatory; laggard; pokey; poky (wasting time)

bumper-to-bumper (used of traffic)

Also:

unhurried (relaxed and leisurely; without hurry or haste)

gradual (proceeding in small stages)

delayed (caused to be slower or later)

Attribute:

fastness; speed; swiftness (a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens)

Antonym:

fast (acting or moving or capable of acting or moving quickly)

Sense 2

slow [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

At a slow tempo

Context example:

the band played a slow waltz

Similar:

moderato ((of tempo) moderate)

larghissimo ((of tempo) as slow and broad as possible)

larghetto ((of tempo) less slow and broad than largo)

largo (very slow in tempo and broad in manner)

lentissimo ((of tempo) very slow)

lento ((of tempo) slow)

andante ((of tempo) moderately slow)

adagio ((of tempo) leisurely)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Antonym:

fast (at a rapid tempo)

Sense 3

slow [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity

Synonyms:

dumb; slow; obtuse; dim; dense; dull

Context examples:

so dense he never understands anything I say to him / never met anyone quite so dim / although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick / dumb officials make some really dumb decisions / he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse / worked with the slow students

Similar:

stupid (lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity)

Sense 4

slow [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

(used of timepieces) indicating a time earlier than the correct time

Context example:

the clock is slow

Antonym:

fast ((used of timepieces) indicating a time ahead of or later than the correct time)

Sense 5

slow [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

So lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

Synonyms:

wearisome; tiresome; tedious; irksome; ho-hum; deadening; boring; dull; slow

Context examples:

a boring evening with uninteresting people / the deadening effect of some routine tasks / a dull play / his competent but dull performance / a ho-hum speaker who couldn't capture their attention / what an irksome task the writing of long letters is / tedious days on the train / the tiresome chirping of a cricket / other people's dreams are dreadfully wearisome

Similar:

uninteresting (arousing no interest or attention or curiosity or excitement)

Sense 6

slow [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

(of business) not active or brisk

Synonyms:

sluggish; slow; dull

Context examples:

business is dull (or slow) / a sluggish market

Similar:

inactive (lacking activity; lying idle or unused)

Domain category:

business; business enterprise; commercial enterprise (the activity of providing goods and services involving financial and commercial and industrial aspects)

• SLOW (verb)

Sense 1

slow [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Lose velocity; move more slowly

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

decelerate; slow; slow down; slow up; retard

Context example:

The car decelerated

Hypernyms (to "slow" is one way to...):

decrease; diminish; fall; lessen (decrease in size, extent, or range)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "slow"):

slow; slow down; slow up (cause to proceed more slowly)

delay; detain; hold up (cause to be slowed down or delayed)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

slow [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Become slow or slower

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

slow up; slacken; slow; slow down; slack

Context example:

Production slowed

Hypernyms (to "slow" is one way to...):

weaken (become weaker)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 3

slow [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Cause to proceed more slowly

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

slow up; slow; slow down

Context example:

The illness slowed him down

Hypernyms (to "slow" is one way to...):

decelerate; retard; slow; slow down; slow up (lose velocity; move more slowly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "slow"):

bog; bog down (cause to slow down or get stuck)

clog; constipate (impede with a clog or as if with a clog)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

• SLOW (adverb)

Sense 1

slow [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Without speed ('slow' is sometimes used informally for 'slowly')

Synonyms:

tardily; slow; slowly; easy

Context examples:

he spoke slowly / go easy here--the road is slippery / glaciers move tardily / please go slow so I can see the sights

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Sense 2

slow [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Of timepieces

Synonyms:

slow; behind

Context examples:

the clock is almost an hour slow / my watch is running behind