slow 1 of 3

1
2
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily we love our bulldog though he's a little slower than our German shepherd

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest the first half of the movie is slow, but then it gets exciting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

slow

2 of 3

verb

slow

3 of 3

adverb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word slow distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of slow are delay, detain, retard, and slacken. While all these words mean "to cause to be late or behind in movement or progress," slow and slacken also imply a reduction of speed, slow often suggesting deliberate intention.

medication slowed the patient's heart rate

In what contexts can delay take the place of slow?

In some situations, the words delay and slow are roughly equivalent. However, delay implies a holding back, usually by interference, from completion or arrival.

bad weather delayed our arrival

When would detain be a good substitute for slow?

The meanings of detain and slow largely overlap; however, detain implies a holding back beyond a reasonable or appointed time.

unexpected business had detained her

Where would retard be a reasonable alternative to slow?

While in some cases nearly identical to slow, retard suggests reduction of speed without actual stopping.

language barriers retarded their progress

When can slacken be used instead of slow?

The synonyms slacken and slow are sometimes interchangeable, but slacken suggests an easing up or relaxing of power or effort.

on hot days runners slacken their pace

Example Sentences

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. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of slow
Adjective
Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Getty Images North America Consumer spending has softened so far this year, however, which could lead to slower economic growth. Scott Horsley, NPR, 19 Mar. 2025 Keeling had discovered what became known as the Keeling Curve – the slow rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that was causing global warming. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
In addition, lack of real-time tracking for medical interventions during those early days slowed vaccine development by delaying insights into which treatments worked and how people were responding to newly circulating variants. Dylan Thomas Doyle, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2025 Eye contact, deep breathing, and slowing down can heighten everything. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 20 Mar. 2025
Adverb
So fire up the smoker, the slow cooker, or your air fryer and get ready for all things smoked, crispy, and slow-cooked because Super Bowl Sunday is for serious snacking. Saveur Editors, Saveur, 5 Feb. 2025 But edging up the maximum age is going slower, according to David Sinclair, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School’s Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research. Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slow
Adjective
  • Sunday Spanish Moss Trail After a leisurely breakfast at the inn, stroll the Spanish moss trail.
    Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Broken Bow Lake and the Mountain Fork River, which winds through the pine and hardwood forests, offer options like boating, canoeing, water-skiing, scuba diving, trout fishing, or leisurely river floating.
    Casey Barber, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.
    Daniel Jackson, Allure, 18 July 2017
  • Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.
    Andy Benoit, The MMQB, 10 July 2017
Adjective
  • Stay Here: Christian Louboutin’s Vermelho (a Relais & Châteaux property in the sleepy village of Melides) is a true visual feast.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Eco-friendly boutique shops, trendy coffee spots, and cafes selling poke bowls have also popped up throughout the sleepy coastal town.
    Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Then Saturday, Columbus sputtered to a disappointing (and boring) scoreless draw at home against the Houston Dynamo, one of the weakest MLS teams.
    Andrew King, Axios, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Literature that doesn’t contain its own version of this deal—literature that tries to freeze-frame reality instead of transmuting it—is often boring, even alienating.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The switch between regenerative and friction braking during a single pedal movement can cause a vehicle's brakes to grab differently resulting in a slow or stop that is not smooth.
    Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
  • New York Open Data showed that certain types of delays, such as those related to braking issues, rail and roadbed problems and service delivery, decreased on the A line from September to December.
    Nic F. Anderson, CNN, 9 Mar. 2025
Adverb
  • As Earth’s orbit around the sun progresses, that strip slowly advances, enabling SPHEREx to complete an all-sky map within six months.
    Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Despite suffering heavy battlefield losses, his armies continue to advance slowly but steadily in Ukraine.
    Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • When Luca pulls a gun on him, ordering him to drive, Spencer quickly disarms him and then slaps him for the stupid move.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Indexing gives you a better chance to ‘be less stupid.’ — Investment advisor Barry Ritholtz Those dismal statistics come to us via the latest annual SPIVA scorecard (the acronym stands for Standard and Poor’s Index vs. Active).
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Listen to this article A woman was found dead after a Waukegan house just after midnight Friday, the second blaze this month where firefighters were hampered by hoarding conditions inside the home.
    Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The French Connection star, 95, and his classical pianist wife, 65 — who opted to live a quiet life in New Mexico away from the spotlight — were found dead at their property in Santa Fe Summit on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slow. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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