slow

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

slow

v. slowed, slow·ing, slows

[Middle English, from Old English slāw, obtuse, sluggish, dim-witted; akin to Dutch slee, blunt, dull, and Old Norse sljór, blunt, dim-witted.]

slow′ly adv.

slow′ness n.

Synonyms: slow, dilatory, leisurely, laggard
These adjectives mean taking more time than is usual or necessary. Slow is the least specific: a slow bus; a slow heartbeat; slow to anger. Dilatory implies lack of promptness caused by delay, procrastination, or indifference: paid a late fee because I was dilatory in paying the bill. Leisurely suggests a relaxed lack of haste: went for a leisurely walk by the river. Laggard implies hanging back or falling behind: "the horses' laggard pace" (Rudyard Kipling).

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

slow

[Old English slāw sluggish; related to Old High German slēo dull, Old Norse slǣr, Dutch sleeuw slow]

ˈslowly adv

ˈslowness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

slow

adj. and
adv. slow•er, slow•est,
v. adj.

1. moving or proceeding with little or less than usual speed: a slow train.

2. characterized by lack of speed: a slow pace.

3. taking or requiring a comparatively long time.

4. gradual: slow growth.

5. mentally dull: a slow child.

6. not readily disposed (usu. fol. by to or an infinitive): slow to anger.

7. burning or heating with little intensity: a slow oven.

8. slack; not busy: a slow stock market.

9. progressing or allowing progress at less than the usual or desired rate of speed: a slow worker; a slow road.

10. running at less than the proper rate of speed, as a clock.

11. dull or tedious: a slow party.

12. Photog. requiring long exposure, as by having a small lens diameter or low film sensitivity.

13. (of the surface of a race track) sticky from a recent rain and in the process of drying out.

14. in a slow manner; slowly: Drive slow.

15. to make slow or slower (often fol. by up or down).

16. to reduce the progress of.

17. to slacken in speed (often fol. by up or down).

[before 900; Middle English; Old English slāw, c. Frisian sleau, Old Saxon slēu, Old High German slēo, Old Norse slǣr; compare sloth]

slow′ly, adv.

slow′ness, n.

syn: slow, deliberate, gradual, leisurely mean unhurried or not happening rapidly. slow means acting or moving without haste: a slow procession of cars. deliberate implies the slowness that marks careful consideration: a deliberate and calculating manner. gradual suggests the slowness of something that advances one step at a time: a gradual improvement. leisurely means moving with the slowness allowed by ample time or the absence of pressure: a leisurely stroll.

usage: As an adverb, slow has two forms, slow and slowly, and both are standard today. slow is informal, now used chiefly in imperative constructions with short verbs of motion (Drive slow. Don't walk so slow.), more commonly in speech than in writing, though it occurs widely on traffic and road signs. slow also combines with present participles in forming adjectives: slow-burning; slow-moving. slowly is by far the more common form of the adverb in writing. In both speech and writing it is the usual form following verbs that are not imperatives: He drove slowly down the street. See also quick, sure.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

slow

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011