/ sləʊ; NAmE sloʊ/ adjective , adverb , verb
■ adjective
( slow·er , slow·est )
NOT FAST
1.
not moving, acting or done quickly; taking a long time; not fast :
a slow driver
Progress was slower than expected.
The country is experiencing slow but steady economic growth.
Collecting data is a painfully slow process.
a slow, lingering death
Oh you're so slow; come on, hurry up!
The slow movement opens with a cello solo.
She gave a slow smile.
2.
not going or allowing you to go at a fast speed :
I missed the fast train and had to get the slow one (= the one that stops at all the stations) .
WITH DELAY
3.
slow to do sth | slow (in) doing sth hesitating to do sth or not doing sth immediately :
She wasn't slow to realize what was going on.
His poetry was slow in achieving recognition.
They were very slow paying me.
NOT CLEVER
4.
not quick to learn; finding things hard to understand :
He's the slowest in the class.
NOT BUSY
5.
not very busy; containing little action
SYN sluggish :
Sales are slow (= not many goods are being sold) .
WATCH / CLOCK
6.
[ not before noun ] showing a time earlier than the correct time :
My watch is five minutes slow (= it shows 1.45 when it is 1.50) .
IN PHOTOGRAPHY
7.
slow film is not very sensitive to light
► slow·ness noun [ U ]:
There was impatience over the slowness of reform.
•
IDIOMS
- do a slow burn
—more at mark noun , uptake
■ adverb
( slow·er , slow·est ) (used especially in the comparative and superlative forms, or in compounds) at a slow speed
SYN slowly :
Could you go a little slower?
slow-drying paint
slow-moving traffic
( NAmE )
Drive slow!
•
IDIOMS
- go slow (on sth)
—see also go-slow
■ verb
~ (sth/sb) (down / up) to go or to make sth/sb go at a slower speed or be less active :
[ v ]
The car slowed down as it approached the junction.
The bus slowed to a halt .
Economic growth has slowed a little.
The game slowed up a little in the second half.
You must slow down (= work less hard) or you'll make yourself ill.
[ vn ]
The ice on the roads was slowing us down.
We hope to slow the spread of the disease.
—see also slowdown
••
WHICH WORD
slow / slowly
Slowly is the usual adverb from the adjective slow . Slow is sometimes used as an adverb in informal language, on road signs, etc. It can also be used to form compounds:
Slow. Major road ahead.
•
a slow-acting drug
• They walk very slow. In the comparative both slower and more slowly are used:
Can you speak slower / more slowly?
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English slāw slow-witted, sluggish , of Germanic origin.