slow

[sloh] /sloʊ/
adjective, slower, slowest.
1.
moving or proceeding with little or less than usual speed or velocity:
a slow train.
2.
characterized by lack of speed:
a slow pace.
3.
taking or requiring a comparatively long time for completion:
a slow meal; a slow trip.
4.
requiring or taking a long time for growing, changing, or occurring; gradual:
a plant of slow growth.
5.
sluggish in nature, disposition, or function.
6.
dull of perception or understanding; mentally dull:
a slow child.
7.
not prompt, readily disposed, or in haste (usually followed by to or an infinitive):
slow to anger; slow to take offense.
8.
burning or heating with little speed or intensity, as a fire or an oven.
9.
slack; not busy:
The market was slow today.
10.
having some quality that retards speed or causes movement, progress, work, etc., to be accomplished at less than the usual or expected rate of speed:
a slow, careful worker; a slow road.
11.
running at less than the proper rate of speed or registering less than the proper time, as a clock.
12.
passing heavily or dragging, as time:
It's been a slow afternoon.
13.
not progressive; behind the times: a slow town.
14.
dull, humdrum, uninteresting, or tedious:
What a slow party!
15.
Photography. requiring long exposure, as by having a small lens diameter or low film sensitivity:
a slow lens or film.
16.
(of the surface of a race track) sticky from a fairly recent rain and in the process of drying out.
adverb, slower, slowest.
17.
in a slow manner; slowly:
Drive slow.
verb (used with object)
18.
to make slow or slower (often followed by up or down).
19.
to retard; reduce the advancement or progress of:
His illness slowed him at school.
verb (used without object)
20.
to become slow or slower; slacken in speed (often followed by up or down).
Origin
before 900; Middle English; Old English slāw sluggish, dull; cognate with Dutch sleeuw; cf. sloth
Related forms
slowly, adverb
slowness, noun
overslow, adjective
overslowly, adverb
overslowness, noun
ultraslow, adjective
ultraslowly, adverb
unslow, adjective
unslowly, adverb
unslowness, noun
unslowed, adjective
Synonyms
1, 2. unhurried. Slow, deliberate, gradual, leisurely mean unhurried and not happening rapidly. That which is slow acts or moves without haste or rapidity: a slow procession of cars. Deliberate implies the slowness that marks careful consideration before and while acting: a deliberate and calculating manner. Gradual suggests the slowness of something that advances one step at a time: a gradual improvement in service. That which is leisurely moves with the slowness allowed by ample time or the absence of pressure: an unhurried and leisurely stroll. 5. sluggardly, dilatory, indolent, lazy, slothful. 6. dense. See dull. 14. boring. 19. hinder, impede, obstruct.
Antonyms
1–3. fast. 19. advance.
Usage note
As an adverb, slow has two forms, slow and slowly. Slowly appeared first in the 15th century; slow came into use shortly thereafter. Both are standard today in certain uses.
Originally, slow was used both preceding and following the verb it modified. Today, it is used chiefly in imperative constructions with short verbs of motion (drive, run, turn, walk, etc.), and it follows the verb: Drive slow. Don't walk so slow. This use is more common in speech than in writing, although it occurs widely on traffic and road signs. Slow also combines with present participles in forming adjectives: slow-burning; slow-moving. In this use it is standard in all varieties of speech and writing.
Slowly is by far the more common form of the adverb in writing. In both speech and writing it is the usual form in preverb position (He slowly drove down the street. The couple slowly strolled into the park) and following verbs that are not imperatives (He drove slowly down the street. The couple strolled slowly through the park). See also quick, sure.
Examples from the web for slow down
  • The explosions speed up for stretches, but then they do slow down.
  • It was as if she couldn't slow down without falling.
  • The technocrats seem pleased by the chance to slow down the frantic pace of growth.
  • The age graph demonstrates that while many conductors slow down as they get older many others do not.
  • He used time-lapse photography to slow down or speed up the movement of plants.
  • She veered out into the road, causing an oncoming car to slow down.
  • When the weather cools, cold-blooded animals slow down, which should be good news for their potential prey.
  • Factually, one can slow down time, but the speculation about going backward in time is premature.
  • Brains slow down as they become more easily distracted.
  • Perhaps a focusing laser in space to slow down their orbits, but then, the threat of fowl play.
British Dictionary definitions for slow down

slow

/sləʊ/
adjective
1.
performed or occurring during a comparatively long interval of time
2.
lasting a comparatively long time: a slow journey
3.
characterized by lack of speed: a slow walker
4.
(prenominal) adapted to or productive of slow movement: the slow lane of a motorway
5.
(of a clock, etc) indicating a time earlier than the correct time
6.
given to or characterized by a leisurely or lazy existence: a slow town
7.
not readily responsive to stimulation; intellectually unreceptive: a slow mind
8.
dull or uninteresting: the play was very slow
9.
not easily aroused: a slow temperament
10.
lacking promptness or immediacy: a slow answer
11.
unwilling to perform an action or enter into a state: slow to anger
12.
behind the times
13.
(of trade, etc) unproductive; slack
14.
(of a fire) burning weakly
15.
(of an oven) cool
16.
(photog) requiring a relatively long time of exposure to produce a given density: a slow lens
17.
(sport) (of a track, etc) tending to reduce the speed of the ball or the competitors
18.
(cricket) (of a bowler, etc) delivering the ball slowly, usually with spin
adverb
19.
in a manner characterized by lack of speed; slowly
verb
20.
often foll by up or down. to decrease or cause to decrease in speed, efficiency, etc
Derived Forms
slowly, adverb
slowness, noun
Word Origin
Old English slāw sluggish; related to Old High German slēo dull, Old Norse slǣr, Dutch sleeuw slow
Word Origin and History for slow down

slow

adj.

Old English slaw "inactive, sluggish, torpid, lazy," also "not clever," from Proto-Germanic *slæwaz (cf. Old Saxon sleu "blunt, dull," Middle Dutch slee, Dutch sleeuw "sour, tart, blunt," Old High German sleo "blunt, dull," Old Norse sljor, Danish sløv, Swedish slö "blunt, dull"). Meaning "taking a long time" is attested from early 13c. Meaning "dull, tedious" is from 1841. As an adverb c.1500. The slows "imaginary disease to account for lethargy" is from 1843.

v.

1550s, "make slower;" 1590s, "go slower," from slow (adj.). Related: Slowed; slowing. Old English had slawian (intransitive) "to be or become slow, be sluggish," but the modern use appears to be a 16c. re-formation.

Idioms and Phrases with slow down

slow down

.
Delay, retard, reduce speed, as in She slowed down the sled by dragging her foot, or Slow down, Bill; you're driving much too fast. [ First half of 1800s ]
Also see: slow up
.
Become less active or vigorous, as in Now that I'm in my seventies I find I've slowed down quite a bit. [ Second half of 1800s ]

slow

also see: