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
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
slowness
noun
Slow vs. Slowly: Usage Guide
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
—
William Shakespeare
William 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
Louise Prothro
Slowly is used before the verb
a sense of outrage, which slowly changed to shame
—Paul Horgan
Paul Horgan
and with participial adjectives.
a slowly dawning awareness … of the problem
—Amer. Labor
Amer. 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
David Halberstam
slowed; slowing; slows
: to make slow or slower : slacken the speed of
slow a car
—often used with down or up
: to go or become slower
production of new cars slowed sharply
Synonyms
Examples of slow in a Sentence
Adjective
The buyers were slow to act, and the house was sold to someone else.
He was a quiet boy who seldom spoke, and some people thought he was a little slow.
Business is slow during the summer.
The first few chapters are slow, but after that it gets better.
Adverb
My computer is working slow.
you need to go slow with this experiment, or you'll make mistakes
Verb
The car slowed and gradually came to a stop.
The extra weight slowed the truck.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ben Sin, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Now starts a transitional phase, which is simultaneously slow and fast.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 22 Nov. 2024
Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Yet, with national and energy security and protecting local industries and jobs on their minds, many governments are reluctant to import goods from China, making the energy transition slower and more expensive.
—Sverre Alvik, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
Melvin Backman, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
In its second half, Say Nothing dramatically slows down to transition into a meditation on the messy costs that comes with war.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for slow 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
The shutter speed of the 6X zoom is relatively slow in low light conditions, resulting in blurry shots more often than with, say, the Vivo X200 Pro.
—Ben Sin, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Now starts a transitional phase, which is simultaneously slow and fast.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 22 Nov. 2024
Adverb
Of course, the clock runs slower as the pendulum gets longer.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Yet, with national and energy security and protecting local industries and jobs on their minds, many governments are reluctant to import goods from China, making the energy transition slower and more expensive.
—Sverre Alvik, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
Verb
Unfortunately, emissions are still slowing much too slowly to prevent catastrophic climate change.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
In its second half, Say Nothing dramatically slows down to transition into a meditation on the messy costs that comes with war.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for slow
Dictionary Entries Near slow
Cite this Entry
“Slow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slow. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slow
1 of 3 adjective1
2
a
: unwilling to take prompt action
b
: not easily aroused or excited
was slow to anger
3
a
: moving, flowing, or proceeding without speed or at less than usual speed
traffic was slow
b
: not vigorous or active
a slow fire
c
: taking place at a low rate or over a considerable period of time
slow progress in negotiations
4
: having qualities that hinder or stop rapid progress or action
a slow racetrack
5
a
: registering behind or below what is correct
the clock is slow
b
: that is behind the time at a specified time or place
6
: lacking in activity or liveliness
a slow market
slow
2 of 3 adverb
: in a slow manner
slow
3 of 3 verb
: to make or go slow or slower
—often used with down or up
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