Adjacent Words

Slow definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SLOW, a.
1. Moving a small distance in a long time; not swift; not quick in motion; not rapid; as a slow stream; a slow motion.
2. Late; not happening in short time. These changes in the heavens though slow, produc'd like change on sea and land, sidereal blast.
3. Not ready; not prompt or quick; as slow of speech, and slow of tongue. Exodus 4.
4. Dull; in active; tardy. The Trojans are not slow to guard their shore from an expected foe.
5. Not hasty; not precipitate; acting with deliberation. The Lord is merciful, slow to anger. He that is slow the wrath is of great understanding. Proverbs 14.
6. Dull; heavy in wit.
7. Behind in time; indicating a time later than the true time; as, the clock or watch is slow.
8.Not advancing, growing or improving rapidly; as the slow growth of arts and sciences.
SLOW, is used in composition to modify other words; as a slow-paced horse.
SLOW, as a verb, to delay, is not in use.
SLOW, n. A moth. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time; "a slow walker"; "the slow lane of traffic"; "her steps were slow"; "he was slow in reacting to the news"; "slow but steady growth" [ant: fast]
2: at a slow tempo; "the band played a slow waltz" [ant: fast]
3: slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity; "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"- Thackeray; "dumb officials make some really dumb decisions"; "he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse"; "worked with the slow students" [syn: dense, dim, dull, dumb, obtuse, slow]
4: (used of timepieces) indicating a time earlier than the correct time; "the clock is slow" [ant: fast]
5: so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness; "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"- Edmund Burke; "tedious days on the train"; "the tiresome chirping of a cricket"- Mark Twain; "other people's dreams are dreadfully wearisome" [syn: boring, deadening, dull, ho-hum, irksome, slow, tedious, tiresome, wearisome]
6: (of business) not active or brisk; "business is dull (or slow)"; "a sluggish market" [syn: dull, slow, sluggish] v
1: lose velocity; move more slowly; "The car decelerated" [syn: decelerate, slow, slow down, slow up, retard] [ant: accelerate, quicken, speed, speed up]
2: become slow or slower; "Production slowed" [syn: slow, slow down, slow up, slack, slacken]
3: cause to proceed more slowly; "The illness slowed him down" [syn: slow, slow down, slow up] adv
1: without speed (`slow' is sometimes used informally for `slowly'); "he spoke slowly"; "go easy here--the road is slippery"; "glaciers move tardily"; "please go slow so I can see the sights" [syn: slowly, slow, easy, tardily] [ant: apace, chop-chop, quickly, rapidly, speedily]
2: of timepieces; "the clock is almost an hour slow"; "my watch is running behind" [syn: behind, slow]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sl?w; akin to Old High German sl?o dull Date: before 12th century 1. a. mentally dull ; stupid <a slow student> b. naturally inert or sluggish 2. a. lacking in readiness, promptness, or willingness b. not hasty or precipitate <was slow to anger> 3. a. moving, flowing, or proceeding without speed or at less than usual speed <traffic was slow> b. exhibiting or marked by low speed <he moved with slow deliberation> c. not acute <a slow disease> d. low, gentle <slow fire> 4. requiring a long time ; gradual <a slow recovery> 5. having qualities that hinder rapid progress or action <a slow track> 6. a. registering behind or below what is correct <the clock is slow> b. less than the time indicated by another method of reckoning c. that is behind the time at a specified time or place 7. a. lacking in life, animation, or gaiety ; boring <the first chapter is a bit slow> b. marked by reduced activity <business was slow> <a slow news week> • slowish adjective • slowness noun II. adverb Date: 15th century slowly Usage: Some commentators claim that careful writers avoid the adverb slow, in spite of the fact that it has had over four centuries of usage <have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower — Shakespeare>. In actual practice, slow and slowly are not used in quite the same way. Slow is almost always used with verbs that denote movement or action, and it regularly follows the verb it modifies <beans…are best cooked long and slow — Louise Prothro>. Slowly is used before the verb <a sense of outrage, which slowly changed to shame — Paul Horgan> and with participial adjectives <a slowly dawning awareness…of the problem — American Labor>. Slowly is used after verbs where slow might also be used <burn slow or slowly> and after verbs where slow would be unidiomatic <the leadership turned slowly toward bombing as a means of striking back — David Halberstam>. III. verb Date: 1557 transitive verb to make slow or slower ; slacken the speed of <slow a car> — often used with down or up intransitive verb to go or become slower <production of new cars slowed sharply> Synonyms: see delay

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj., adv., & v. --adj. 1 a taking a relatively long time to do a thing or cover a distance (also foll. by of: slow of speech). b not quick; acting or moving or done without speed. 2 gradual; obtained over a length of time (slow growth). 3 not producing, allowing, or conducive to speed (in the slow lane). 4 (of a clock etc.) showing a time earlier than is the case. 5 (of a person) not understanding readily; not learning easily. 6 dull; uninteresting; tedious. 7 slack or sluggish (business is slow). 8 (of a fire or oven) giving little heat. 9 Photog. a (of a film) needing long exposure. b (of a lens) having a small aperture. 10 a reluctant; tardy (not slow to defend himself). b not hasty or easily moved (slow to take offence). 11 (of a cricket-pitch, tennis-court, putting-green, etc.) on which the ball bounces or runs slowly. --adv. 1 at a slow pace; slowly. 2 (in comb.) (slow-moving traffic). --v. (usu. foll. by down, up) 1 intr. & tr. reduce one's speed or the speed of (a vehicle etc.). 2 intr. reduce one's pace of life; live or work less intensely. Phrases and idioms: slow and sure of the attitude that haste is risky. slow but sure achieving the required result eventually. slow-down the action of slowing down; a go-slow. slow handclap slow clapping by an audience as a sign of displeasure or boredom. slow loris see LORIS. slow march the marching time adopted by troops in a funeral procession etc. slow-match a slow-burning match for lighting explosives etc. slow motion 1 the operation or speed of a film using slower projection or more rapid exposure so that actions etc. appear much slower than usual. 2 the simulation of this in real action. slow neutron a neutron with low kinetic energy esp. after moderation (cf. fast neutron (see FAST(1))). slow poison a poison eventually causing death by repeated doses. slow puncture a puncture causing only slow deflation of the tyre. slow reactor Physics a nuclear reactor using mainly slow neutrons (cf. fast reactor (see FAST(1))). slow virus a progressive disease caused by a virus or virus-like organism that multiplies slowly in the host organism and has a long incubation period, such as scrapie or BSE. Derivatives: slowish adj. slowly adv. slowness n. Etymology: OE slaw f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Slow Slow, obs. imp. of Slee, to slay. Slew. --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Slow Slow, a. [Compar. Slower; superl. Slowest.] [OE. slow, slaw, AS. sl[=a]w; akin to OS. sl?u blunt, dull, D. sleeuw, slee, sour, OHG. sl?o blunt, dull, Icel. sl?r, sl?r, Dan. sl["o]v, Sw. sl["o]. Cf. Sloe, and Sloth.] 1. Moving a short space in a relatively long time; not swift; not quick in motion; not rapid; moderate; deliberate; as, a slow stream; a slow motion. 2. Not happening in a short time; gradual; late. These changes in the heavens, though slow, produced Like change on sea and land, sidereal blast. --Milton. 3. Not ready; not prompt or quick; dilatory; sluggish; as, slow of speech, and slow of tongue. Fixed on defense, the Trojans are not slow To guard their shore from an expected foe. --Dryden. 4. Not hasty; not precipitate; acting with deliberation; tardy; inactive. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding. --Prov. xiv. 29. 5. Behind in time; indicating a time earlier than the true time; as, the clock or watch is slow. 6. Not advancing or improving rapidly; as, the slow growth of arts and sciences. 7. Heavy in wit; not alert, prompt, or spirited; wearisome; dull. [Colloq.] --Dickens. Thackeray. Note: Slow is often used in the formation of compounds for the most part self-explaining; as, slow-gaited, slow-paced, slow-sighted, slow-winged, and the like. Slow coach, a slow person. See def.7, above. [Colloq.] Slow lemur, or Slow loris (Zo["o]l.), an East Indian nocturnal lemurine animal (Nycticebus tardigradus) about the size of a small cat; -- so called from its slow and deliberate movements. It has very large round eyes and is without a tail. Called also bashful Billy. Slow match. See under Match. Syn: Dilatory; late; lingering; tardy; sluggish; dull; inactive. Usage: Slow, Tardy, Dilatory. Slow is the wider term, denoting either a want of rapid motion or inertness of intellect. Dilatory signifies a proneness to defer, a habit of delaying the performance of what we know must be done. Tardy denotes the habit of being behind hand; as, tardy in making up one's acounts.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Slow Slow, adv. Slowly. Let him have time to mark how slow time goes In time of sorrow. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Slow Slow, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Slowing.] To render slow; to slacken the speed of; to retard; to delay; as, to slow a steamer. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Slow Slow, v. i. To go slower; -- often with up; as, the train slowed up before crossing the bridge.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Slow Slow, n. A moth. [Obs.] --Rom. of R.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(slower, slowest, slows, slowing, slowed) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. Something that is slow moves, happens, or is done without much speed. The traffic is heavy and slow... Electric whisks should be used on a slow speed. ...slow, regular breathing. ? fast ADJ • slowly He spoke slowly and deliberately... Christian backed slowly away. ADV: ADV with v • slowness She lowered the glass with calculated slowness. N-UNCOUNT 2. In informal English, slower is used to mean 'at a slower speed' and slowest is used to mean 'at the slowest speed'. In non-standard English, slow is used to mean 'with little speed'. I began to walk slower and slower... We got there by driving slow all the way. ? fast ADV: ADV after v 3. Something that is slow takes a long time. The distribution of passports has been a slow process. ? quick ADJ • slowly My resentment of her slowly began to fade. ADV: ADV with v • slowness ...the slowness of political and economic progress. 4. If someone is slow to do something, they do it after a delay. The world community has been slow to respond to the crisis... ? quick ADJ: v-link ADJ, usu ADJ to-inf, ADJ in -ing 5. If something slows or if you slow it, it starts to move or happen more slowly. The rate of bombing has slowed considerably... She slowed the car and began driving up a narrow road... VERB: V, V n 6. Someone who is slow is not very clever and takes a long time to understand things. He got hit on the head and he's been a bit slow since. ? quick ADJ 7. If you describe a situation, place, or activity as slow, you mean that it is not very exciting. The island is too slow for her liking. = quiet ? lively ADJ 8. If a clock or watch is slow, it shows a time that is earlier than the correct time. ? fast ADJ: usu v-link ADJ 9. see also slow- 10. slow off the mark: see mark slowly but surely: see surely slow on the uptake: see uptake

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

slo: Chiefly for 'erekh, literally, "long," in the phrase "slow to anger" (Ne 9:17, etc.). In Ex 4:10; Lu 24:25; Jas 1:19, for kabhedh; bradus, both meaning "heavy," "sluggish," while Sirach 7:35 uses "be slow" for okneo, "hesitate." In addition, the King James Version uses. "slow" for argos, "inactive," in The Wisdom of Solomon 15:15, "slow to go" (the Revised Version (British and American) "helpless for walking"), and in Tit 1:12, "slow bellies" (the Revised Version (British and American) "idle gluttons"). In Sirach 51:24, the King James Version has "be slow" for hustereo, "be lacking" (so the Revised Version (British and American)).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Moderate, deliberate. 2. Gradual. 3. Dull, heavy, dead, inert, inactive. 4. Tardy, behindhand. 5. Late. 6. Unready. 7. Tardy, dilatory, inactive, sluggish, late, delaying, lingering, slack. 8. Dull, stupid, heavy, wearisome.

Moby Thesaurus

Boeotian, Micawberish, after time, almost unheard-of, ambling, apathetic, arid, arrest, arrested, averse, back, backpedal, backward, backwater, balking, balky, barren, behind, behind the times, behind time, behindhand, belated, belatedly, benumbed, blah, blank, blase, blocked, blockish, bloodless, blunt, blunt-witted, bone-lazy, bored, boring, bovine, brake, cadging, carefully, cautious, cautiously, characterless, check, circumspect, circumspectly, claudicant, clip the wings, cloddish, cold, colorless, conservative, crawling, crawlingly, creeping, creeping like snail, creepingly, curb, dallying, dawdling, dead, dead-and-alive, debilitated, decelerate, deep into, delay, delayed, delayed-action, delaying, deliberate, deliberately, dense, detain, detained, dilatorily, dilatory, dillydallying, dim, dim-witted, disinclined, dismal, do-nothing, doless, doltish, dopey, dormant, dragging, draggy, draw rein, drearisome, dreary, dronish, drony, droopy, drugged, dry, dryasdust, dull, dull of mind, dull-headed, dull-pated, dull-witted, dumb, dunch, dusty, ease off, ease up, easily, easy, easygoing, effete, elephantine, empty, enervated, ergophobic, etiolated, exanimate, fade, faineant, faltering, falteringly, far on, fat-witted, feebleminded, flagging, flat, foot-dragging, gentle, gently, good-for-nothing, gradual, gross-headed, grudging, half-witted, halting, haltingly, hasteless, heavy, hebetudinous, held up, hesitant, ho-hum, hobbled, hobbling, hold back, hold in check, hold up, hollow, humdrum, hung up, idle, idly, imbecile, impede, in a bind, in abeyance, in low gear, in march time, in slow motion, in slow tempo, inactive, inane, inanimate, indifferent, indisposed, indolent, indolently, inert, inexcitable, infrequent, insipid, jaded, jammed, jejune, keep back, lackadaisical, laggard, lagging, languid, languidly, languorous, languorously, late, latish, lax, lazy, leaden, leisurely, let down, let up, lethargic, lifeless, limited, limping, limpingly, lingering, lingeringly, listless, loath, loitering, loiteringly, lollygagging, lose ground, lose momentum, lose speed, low-spirited, lumbering, lumpish, measurable, measured, moderate, moderately, monotonous, moratory, moribund, moronic, never on time, nonaggressive, none too soon, not with it, numb, obstruct, obstructed, obtuse, old-fashioned, old-fogyish, out of date, out of it, overdue, pale, pallid, parasitic, pedestrian, perceptible, perfunctory, phlegmatic, plodding, pointless, pokily, poking, pokingly, poky, ponderous, pooped, procrastinating, procrastinative, procrastinatory, progressive, quiet, rare, reef, rein in, relax, relaxed, relaxedly, reluctant, reluctantly, remiss, renitent, restive, retard, retarded, rusty, sated, sauntering, scarce, scrounging, seldom met with, seldom seen, set back, shiftless, shuffling, simple, slack, slack off, slack up, slacken, sleepy, slothful, slow as death, slow as molasses, slow as slow, slow down, slow to, slow up, slow-crawling, slow-foot, slow-going, slow-legged, slow-moving, slow-paced, slow-poky, slow-running, slow-sailing, slow-stepped, slow-witted, slowly, sluggish, sluggishly, snail-paced, snaillike, solemn, somnolent, soporific, sparse, spiritless, sponging, square, staggering, stagnant, stagnating, stay, steady, sterile, stiff, stodgy, stolid, stopped, straggling, strolling, stuffy, stultified, stupid, superficial, supine, take in sail, take it easy, tame, tardily, tardy, tarryingly, tasteless, tedious, tentative, tentatively, thick, thick-brained, thick-headed, thick-pated, thick-witted, thickskulled, throttle down, tiresome, toddling, torpid, tortoiselike, tottering, trudging, turtlelike, uncommon, under easy sail, unenterprising, unenthusiastic, uneventful, unfrequent, unhasty, unhurried, unhurriedly, unimaginative, unintelligent, uninteresting, unique, unlively, unproductive, unprogressive, unpunctual, unready, unresponsive, untimely, unusual, unwilling, unzealous, vapid, vegetable, vegetative, waddling, wan, wearisome, weary, with agonizing slowness, with deliberation, wooden, work-shy, world-weary