Adjacent Words

Lower definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LOWER, v.t. [from low.]
1. To cause to descend; to let down; to take or bring down; as, to lower the main-sail of a sloop.
2. To suffer to sink downwards.
3. To bring down; to reduce or humble; as, to lower the pride of man.
4. To lessen; to diminish; to reduce, as value or amount; as, to lower the price or value of goods, or the rate of interest.
LOWER, v.i. To fall; to sink; to grow less.
LOW'ER, v.i.
1. To appear dark or gloomy; to be clouded; to threaten a storm.
And all the clouds that lowered upon your house.
The lowering spring.
2. To frown; to look sullen.
But sullen discontent sat lowering on her face.
LOW'ER, n.
1. Cloudiness; gloominess.
2. A frowning; sullenness.
LOWER, a. [comp. of low.] Less high or elevated.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the lower of two berths [syn: lower berth, lower] v
1: move something or somebody to a lower position; "take down the vase from the shelf" [syn: lower, take down, let down, get down, bring down] [ant: bring up, elevate, get up, lift, raise]
2: set lower; "lower a rating"; "lower expectations" [syn: lower, lour]
3: make lower or quieter; "turn down the volume of a radio" [syn: turn down, lower, lour]
4: cause to drop or sink; "The lack of rain had depressed the water level in the reservoir" [syn: lower, depress]
5: look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval [syn: frown, glower, lour, lower]

Merriam Webster's

I. intransitive verb also lour Etymology: Middle English louren; akin to Middle High German l?ren to lie in wait Date: 13th century 1. to look sullen ; frown 2. to be or become dark, gloomy, and threatening <an overcast sky lowered over the village> II. noun also lour Date: 14th century frown III. adjective Etymology: ³low Date: 13th century 1. relatively low in position, rank, or order 2. southern <lower New York State> 3. less advanced in the scale of evolutionary development 4. a. situated or held to be situated beneath the earth's surface b. capitalized being an earlier epoch or series of the period or system named <Lower Cretaceous> <Lower Paleolithic> 5. constituting the popular and often the larger and more representative branch of a bicameral legislative body <lower house> IV. Date: 1606 intransitive verb to move down ; drop; also diminish transitive verb 1. a. to let descend ; let down b. to depress as to direction <lower your aim> c. to reduce the height of 2. a. to reduce in value, number, or amount b. (1) to bring down in quality or character ; degrade (2) abase, humble c. to reduce the objective of

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. adj. & adv. --adj. (compar. of LOW(1)). 1 less high in position or status. 2 situated below another part (lower lip; lower atmosphere). 3 a situated on less high land (Lower Egypt). b situated to the South (Lower California). 4 (of a mammal, plant, etc.) evolved to only a slight degree (e.g. a platypus or fungus). --adv. in or to a lower position, status, etc. Phrases and idioms: lower case see CASE(2). lower class working-class people and their families. lower-class adj. of the lower class. lower deck 1 the deck of a ship situated immediately over the hold. 2 the petty officers and men of a ship collectively. Lower House the larger and usu. elected body in a legislature, esp. the House of Commons. lower regions (or world) hell; the realm of the dead. Derivatives: lowermost adj. 2. v. 1 tr. let or haul down. 2 tr. & intr. make or become lower. 3 tr. reduce the height or pitch or elevation of (lower your voice; lower one's eyes). 4 tr. degrade. 5 tr. & intr. diminish. 3. var. of LOUR.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Low Low, a. [Compar. Lower; superl. Lowest.] [OE. low, louh, lah, Icel. l[=a]gr; akin to Sw. l[*a]g, Dan. lav, D. laag, and E. lie. See Lie to be prostrate.] 1. Occupying an inferior position or place; not high or elevated; depressed in comparison with something else; as, low ground; a low flight. 2. Not rising to the usual height; as, a man of low stature; a low fence. 3. Near the horizon; as, the sun is low at four o'clock in winter, and six in summer. 4. Sunk to the farthest ebb of the tide; as, low tide. 5. Beneath the usual or remunerative rate or amount, or the ordinary value; moderate; cheap; as, the low price of corn; low wages. 6. Not loud; as, a low voice; a low sound. 7. (Mus.) Depressed in the scale of sounds; grave; as, a low pitch; a low note. 8. (Phon.) Made, as a vowel, with a low position of part of the tongue in relation to the palate; as, ? (?m), ? (all). See Guide to Pronunciation, [sect][sect] 5, 10, 11. 9. Near, or not very distant from, the equator; as, in the low northern latitudes. 10. Numerically small; as, a low number. 11. Wanting strength or animation; depressed; dejected; as, low spirits; low in spirits. 12. Depressed in condition; humble in rank; as, men of low condition; the lower classes. Why but to keep ye low and ignorant ? --Milton. 13. Mean; vulgar; base; dishonorable; as, a person of low mind; a low trick or stratagem. 14. Not elevated or sublime; not exalted or diction; as, a low comparison. In comparison of these divine writers, the noblest wits of the heathen world are low and dull. --Felton. 15. Submissive; humble. ``Low reverence.'' --Milton. 16. Deficient in vital energy; feeble; weak; as, a low pulse; made low by sickness. 17. Moderate; not intense; not inflammatory; as, low heat; a low temperature; a low fever. 18. Smaller than is reasonable or probable; as, a low estimate. 19. Not rich, high seasoned, or nourishing; plain; simple; as, a low diet. Note: Low is often used in the formation of compounds which require no special explanation; as, low-arched, low- browed, low-crowned, low-heeled, low-lying, low-priced, low-roofed, low-toned, low-voiced, and the like. Low Church. See High Church, under High. Low Countries, the Netherlands. Low German, Low Latin, etc. See under German, Latin, etc. Low life, humble life. Low milling, a process of making flour from grain by a single grinding and by siftings. Low relief. See Bas-relief. Low side window (Arch.), a peculiar form of window common in medi[ae]val churches, and of uncertain use. Windows of this sort are narrow, near the ground, and out of the line of the windows, and in many different situations in the building. Low spirits, despondency. Low steam, steam having a low pressure. Low steel, steel which contains only a small proportion of carbon, and can not be hardened greatly by sudden cooling. Low Sunday, the Sunday next after Easter; -- popularly so called. Low tide, the farthest ebb of the tide; the tide at its lowest point; low water. Low water. (a) The lowest point of the ebb tide; a low stage of the in a river, lake, etc. (b) (Steam Boiler) The condition of an insufficient quantity of water in the boiler. Low water alarm or indicator (Steam Boiler), a contrivance of various forms attached to a boiler for giving warning when the water is low. Low water mark, that part of the shore to which the waters recede when the tide is the lowest. --Bouvier. Low wine, a liquor containing about 20 percent of alcohol, produced by the first distillation of wash; the first run of the still; -- often in the plural.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lower Low"er, v. i. To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease; as, the river lowered as rapidly as it rose.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lower Low"er, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Lowered; p. pr. & vb. n. Lowering.] [OE. lowren, luren; cf. D. loeren, LG. luren. G. lauern to lurk, to be on the watch, and E. leer, lurk.] 1. To be dark, gloomy, and threatening, as clouds; to be covered with dark and threatening clouds, as the sky; to show threatening signs of approach, as a tempest. All the clouds that lowered upon our house. --Shak. 2. To frown; to look sullen. But sullen discontent sat lowering on her face. --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lower Low"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lowered; p. pr. & vb. n. Lowering.] [From Low, a.] 1. To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down; as, to lower a bucket into a well; to lower a sail or a boat; sometimes, to pull down; as, to lower a flag. Lowered softly with a threefold cord of love Down to a silent grave. --Tennyson. 2. To reduce the height of; as, to lower a fence or wall; to lower a chimney or turret. 3. To depress as to direction; as, to lower the aim of a gun; to make less elevated as to object; as, to lower one's ambition, aspirations, or hopes. 4. To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of; as, to lower the temperature of anything; to lower one's vitality; to lower distilled liquors. 5. To bring down; to humble; as, to lower one's pride. 6. To reduce in value, amount, etc.; as, to lower the price of goods, the rate of interest, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lower Low"er, a. Compar. of Low, a.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lower Low"er, n. [Obs.] 1. Cloudiness; gloominess. 2. A frowning; sullenness.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(lowers, lowering, lowered) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. You can use lower to refer to the bottom one of a pair of things. She bit her lower lip. ...the lower deck of the bus... The upper layer of felt should overlap the lower. ...the lower of the two holes. ? upper ADJ: ADJ n, the ADJ, the ADJ of n 2. You can use lower to refer to the bottom part of something. Use a small cushion to help give support to the lower back. ...fires which started in the lower part of a tower block. ? upper ADJ: ADJ n 3. You can use lower to refer to people or things that are less important than similar people or things. Already the awards are causing resentment in the lower ranks of council officers... The nation's highest court reversed the lower court's decision... The higher orders of society must rule the lower. ? higher ADJ: ADJ n, the ADJ 4. If you lower something, you move it slowly downwards. Two reporters had to help lower the coffin into the grave... Sokolowski lowered himself into the black leather chair... 'No movies of me getting out of the pool, boys.' They dutifully lowered their cameras. VERB: V n prep/adv, V pron-refl prep/adv, V n • lowering ...the extinguishing of the Olympic flame and the lowering of the flag. N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n 5. If you lower something, you make it less in amount, degree, value, or quality. The Central Bank has lowered interest rates by 2 percent... VERB: V n • lowering ...a package of social measures which included the lowering of the retirement age. N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n 6. If someone lowers their head or eyes, they look downwards, for example because they are sad or embarrassed. She lowered her head and brushed past photographers as she went back inside... She lowered her gaze to the hands in her lap. ? raise VERB: V n, V n 7. If you say that you would not lower yourself by doing something, you mean that you would not behave in a way that would make you or other people respect you less. Don't lower yourself, don't be the way they are... I've got no qualms about lowering myself to Lemmer's level to get what I want. VERB: oft with brd-neg, V pron-refl, V pron-refl to n 8. If you lower your voice or if your voice lowers, you speak more quietly. The man moved closer, lowering his voice... His voice lowers confidentially. VERB: V n, V 9. see also low

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Depress, drop, sink, let down, bring down, take down. 2. Degrade, debase, disgrace, humble, humiliate, reduce. 3. Lessen, diminish, reduce, decrease. II. v. n. Fall, sink, diminish, decrease, grow less, subside. III. v. n. 1. Grow dark, be clouded, appear gloomy, appear stormy. 2. Frown, glower, look sullen, look black.

Moby Thesaurus

abase, abash, abated, ablated, abridge, apprehend, approach, attenuated, await, bated, be imminent, be in store, bear down, beat down, belittle, belittled, bludgeon, bode, bore, break, brew, bring down, bring low, bulldoze, bump, burrow, bust, cast down, cave, cave in, cheapen, clip, color, come on, comminate, common, compress, condescend, confront, consumed, contracted, couch, countersink, croak, crop, crush, curtail, curtailed, cut, cut back, cut down, cut off, cut prices, damp, dampen, dampen the spirits, darken, darkle, dash, de-escalate, debase, decline, decrease, decreased, decry, deduct, deepen, deflate, deflated, degrade, deign, deject, delve, demean, demeaning, demit, demote, denounce, deplume, depreciate, depress, descend, detrude, devaluate, devalue, dig, dig out, dike, dim, diminish, diminished, disadvantaged, discount, discourage, discredit, disgrace, disgrade, dishearten, dispirit, displume, dissipated, dive, down, downbear, downgrade, draw near, draw nigh, draw on, dredge, drill, drive, droop, drop, dropped, dump, dump on, dusk, earlier, eroded, excavate, face, fall, fall in price, fallen, flop, flop down, flump, flump down, flush, forebode, forewarn, forthcome, founder, frown, furrow, gather, give way, glare, gloam, gloom, gloominess, glower, gnarl, go down, gouge, gouge out, grimace, groove, grow dark, grow dim, growl, grub, hang over, haul down, have a premonition, have a presentiment, hover, humble, humiliate, impend, in the shade, indent, inferior, infra dig, intimidate, jew down, junior, knit the brow, knock down, lapse, less, lessen, lesser, let down, lie over, long face, look black, look daggers, look sullen, look threatening, loom, low, lower case, lower the spirits, lowered, lowering, lowest, lowly, make a lip, make a moue, mantle, mark, mark down, menace, mine, miniaturized, minor, minuscule, moderate, modest, modulate, moue, mow, near, nether, nose-dive, oppress, ordinary, overhang, pare, peer, plop, plop down, plummet, plump, plunge, portend, pout, preapprehend, press down, pull down, push down, put down, quarry, quieten, redden, reduce, reduced, retrench, retrenched, roll back, sadden, sag, sap, scale down, scaled-down, scoop, scoop out, scowl, scrabble, scrape, scratch, second rank, second string, secondary, servile, set, set down, settle, settle down, shame, shave, shorn, shorten, shorter, shovel, shrunk, shrunken, simplify, sink, sink down, slash, slouch, slump, slump down, small, smaller, snap, snarl, soften, somber, somberness, sombrousness, spade, spit, stare, step down, stoop, strip of rank, sub, subaltern, subjacent, subject, submerge, subordinate, subservient, subside, swag, take down, take from, third rank, third string, threaten, thrust down, tone down, trench, trim, trip up, trough, tune down, tunnel, turn down, under, underprivileged, underprize, undervalue, utter threats against, vulgar, warn, watered-down, weakened, weigh heavy upon, weigh upon, worn, write down, write off, wry face