SLOW

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (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)

Declension: comparative and superlative

Sense 1

Meaning:

Not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

Context example:

slow but steady growth

Similar:

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

sluggish; sulky; slow-moving (moving slowly)

lazy (moving slowly and gently)

dilatory; laggard; pokey; poky (wasting time)

bumper-to-bumper (used of traffic)

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

Also:

gradual (proceeding in small stages)

unhurried (relaxed and leisurely; without hurry or haste)

Attribute:

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

Antonym:

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

Derivation:

slowness (a rate demonstrating an absence of haste or hurry)

Sense 2

Meaning:

At a slow tempo

Context example:

the band played a slow waltz

Similar:

andante ((of tempo) moderately slow)

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)

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)

Derivation:

slowness (a rate demonstrating an absence of haste or hurry)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity

Synonyms:

dense; dim; dull; dumb; obtuse; slow

Context example:

worked with the slow students

Similar:

stupid (lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity)

Derivation:

slowness (lack of normal development of intellectual capacities)

slowness (unskillfulness resulting from a lack of training)

Sense 4

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

Meaning:

So lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

Synonyms:

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

Context example:

other people's dreams are dreadfully wearisome

Similar:

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

Sense 6

Meaning:

(of business) not active or brisk

Synonyms:

dull; slow; sluggish

Context example:

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)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lose velocity; move more slowly

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

decelerate; retard; slow; slow down; slow up

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

Derivation:

slowing (a decrease in rate of change)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Become slow or slower

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

slack; slacken; slow; slow down; slow up

Context example:

Production slowed

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

weaken (become weaker)

Sentence frames:

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

Derivation:

slowing (a decrease in rate of change)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cause to proceed more slowly

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

slow; slow down; slow up

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

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

easy; slow; slowly; tardily

Context example:

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

Meaning:

Of timepieces

Synonyms:

behind; slow

Context example:

my watch is running behind

 Context examples 

There is no cure for MS, but medicines may slow it down and help control symptoms.

(Multiple Sclerosis, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

It was slow work in the heavy sea that was running.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

This means Mercury will retrograde in your professional sector, and that will slow down your career progress.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

A slow growing, WHO grade I glioma which generally occurs in young adults.

(Myxopapillary Ependymoma, NCI Thesaurus)

In that direction the country was still thickly wooded, with so much undergrowth that our progress was very slow.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

By slow degrees he recovered and ate a little soup, which restored him wonderfully.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Benign tumors are slow growing and are not associated with specific clinical symptoms.

(Odontogenic Neoplasm, NCI Thesaurus)

This causes brain activity to slow down.

(Benzodiazepine, NCI Dictionary)

The slow, careful steps came along the hall; the Count was evidently prepared for some surprise—at least he feared it.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Led by Philippe Peigneux, ULB Neuroscience Institute, a group of researchers found that our learning capabilities are limited during slow wave sleep.

(Learning While Sleeping?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)