slow

[[t]sloʊ[/t]]

adj. and adv. slow•er, slow•est, v.

1) moving or proceeding with little or less than usual speed:

a slow train[/ex]

2) characterized by lack of speed:

a slow pace[/ex]

3) taking or requiring a comparatively long time

4) gradual:

slow growth[/ex]

5) mentally dull:

a slow child[/ex]

6) not readily disposed (usu. fol. by to or an infinitive):

slow to anger[/ex]

7) burning or heating with little intensity:

a slow oven[/ex]

8) slack; not busy:

a slow stock market[/ex]

9) progressing or allowing progress at less than the usual or desired rate of speed:

a slow worker; a slow road[/ex]

10) running at less than the proper rate of speed, as a clock

11) dull or tedious:

a slow party[/ex]

12) Photog. requiring long exposure, as by having a small lens diameter or low film sensitivity

13) (of the surface of a race track) sticky from a recent rain and in the process of drying out

14) in a slow manner; slowly:

Drive slow[/ex]

15) to make slow or slower (often fol. by up or down)

16) to reduce the progress of

17) to slacken in speed (often fol. by up or down)

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Etymology: bef. 900; ME; OE slāw, c. Fris sleau, OSslēu, OHGslēo, ONslǣr; cf. sloth slow′ly, adv. slow′ness, n. syn: slow, deliberate, gradual, leisurely mean unhurried or not happening rapidly. slow means acting or moving without haste: a slow procession of cars. deliberate implies the slowness that marks careful consideration: a deliberate and calculating manner. gradual suggests the slowness of something that advances one step at a time: a gradual improvement. leisurely means moving with the slowness allowed by ample time or the absence of pressure: a leisurely stroll. usage: As an adverb, slow has two forms, slow and slowly, and both are standard today. slow is informal, now used chiefly in imperative constructions with short verbs of motion (Drive slow. Don't walk so slow.), more commonly in speech than in writing, though it occurs widely on traffic and road signs. slow also combines with present participles in forming adjectives: slow-burning; slow-moving. slowly is by far the more common form of the adverb in writing. In both speech and writing it is the usual form following verbs that are not imperatives: He drove slowly down the street. See also quick, sure