SLOW

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English slāw; akin to Old High German slēo dull Date: before 12th century 1. mentally dull ; stupid , naturally inert or sluggish, 2. lacking in readiness, promptness, or willingness, not hasty or precipitate , 3. moving, flowing, or proceeding without speed or at less than usual speed , exhibiting or marked by low speed , not acute , low , gentle , requiring a long time ; gradual , having qualities that hinder rapid progress or action , 6. registering behind or below what is correct , less than the time indicated by another method of reckoning, that is behind the time at a specified time or place, 7. lacking in life, animation, or gaiety ; boring , marked by reduced activity , ~ish adjective ~ness noun II. adverb Date: 15th century ~ly , Usage: Some commentators claim that careful writers avoid the adverb ~, in spite of the fact that it has had over four centuries of usage . In actual practice, ~ and ~ly 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 . Slowly is used before the verb and with participial adjectives . Slowly is used after verbs where ~ might also be used and after verbs where ~ would be unidiomatic . III. verb Date: 1557 transitive verb to make ~ or ~er ; slacken the speed of , intransitive verb to go or become ~er , see: delay