slowly

adverb

slow·​ly ˈslō-lē 

: in a slow manner : not quickly, fast, early, rashly, or readily

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

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

—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

Synonyms

• laggardly
• leisurely
• pokily
• slow
• sluggishly
• tardily

Examples of slowly in a Sentence

Things are slowly getting better.

walked slowly toward the ringing phone

Recent Examples on the Web

Enchanting aromas that slowly unfurl in the glass with notes of rose petals, brambly fruit and red cherries laced with a fantastic saline minerality note with a supple texture and a long, expressive finish. —Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025

The summit push then takes four to seven days as hikers slowly ascend the mountain before making one final 10-12 hour climb to the mountain's peak. —Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 22 Mar. 2025

In addition, the caffeine in green tea is released much more slowly than in coffee, as it is bound to L-theanine. —Maria Goldbach, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2025

But Franklin slowly nursed her back to health as Kiki gradually gained the strength to clumsily, haltingly fly: first from her living room perch to the kitchen counter, then back and forth along the length of the narrow room. —Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing slowly

• slowly but surely

Rhymes for slowly

• coaly
• coli
• foley
• folie
• goalie
• holy
• lowly
• moly
• tolly
• wholly
• acholi
• emboli