slow
slow — adjective
1. not quick in movement, action, or operation — for example, a runner who finishes
not quick in movement, action, or operation — for example, a runner who finishes last, internet pages that load gradually, or work that advances only a little each day
The slow traffic made Lotte late for her dentist appointment.
collocation: slow traffic
Gabriel walked at a slow pace because his ankle still hurt from the fall.
Jin could not finish his homework because the internet connection was very slow.
collocation: slow internet connection
Progress on the new hospital building has been slow this winter.
A slow cooker uses low heat to prepare food over several hours.
compound noun: slow cooker
- slow traffic
- slow pace
- slow progress
- slow internet
- slow speed
- slow cooker
Grammar Patterns
slow + noun
be + slow
Usage Note
Used for speed in all contexts — physical movement, work progress, internet connection, and machines.
Common Mistakes
2. lacking the energy, fast pace, or action that makes a film, book, or performance
lacking the energy, fast pace, or action that makes a film, book, or performance entertaining to watch or read
Jenna found the nature documentary far too slow and turned it off after twenty minutes.
Critics said the movie was slow and boring, though audiences loved the acting.
collocation: slow movie
The play's first act felt slow to Yasmin, who preferred fast-paced theatre.
Eleni rarely reads novels because she finds the slower chapters too dull to finish.
pattern: slow chapters / slow book
- slow film
- slow movie
- slow book
- slow start
- slow pace (of a story)
- exciting
the direct opposite in terms of entertainment value
- fast-paced
describes something with quick action and frequent changes
Grammar Patterns
slow + noun (film/book)
Usage Note
Common in reviews and criticism. Often paired with boring or dull to express a negative opinion about entertainment.
3. not quick to understand ideas, learn new skills, or notice what is happening aro
not quick to understand ideas, learn new skills, or notice what is happening around you
The teacher was patient with the slow learners and gave them extra help after lessons.
collocation: slow learner
Rodrigo felt slow during the test because he had not slept well.
Shirin was slow to notice that her friends had changed the topic of conversation.
pattern: slow to + verb
Some classmates teased Theo for being slow, but he was just careful with his answers.
- slow learner
- slow to understand
- slow to notice
- slow at maths
Grammar Patterns
be + slow + to-infinitive
slow + noun (learner)
Usage Note
Potentially offensive when used to describe someone's general intelligence. Often softened with adverbs such as 'a bit' or 'rather'. Less harsh than 'stupid' but still sensitive.
Common Mistakes
4. used of a timepiece whose displayed time is behind the correct current time — fo
used of a timepiece whose displayed time is behind the correct current time — for example, showing 9:50 when it is actually 10:00
Christopher's watch is five minutes slow, so he arrived late.
pattern: [quantity] minutes slow
The kitchen clock ran slow again, making us miss the start of the film.
Jisoo set her alarm ten minutes fast because her phone usually runs slow.
The old clock in the classroom is always a few minutes slow.
- five minutes slow
- ten minutes slow
- running slow
- be slow
- behind
used in the phrase 'running behind' for both clocks and schedules
- fast
the opposite for timepieces — a fast clock shows a time later than the real time
Grammar Patterns
slow + by + quantity
quantity + minutes + slow
Usage Note
Almost always used with a quantity (five minutes slow, ten minutes slow) or the phrase 'running slow'. The opposite is fast.
Common Mistakes
5. at a low temperature in a cooker or oven, either because the heat is set low or
at a low temperature in a cooker or oven, either because the heat is set low or because the appliance has cooled down after use
Bake the cake in a slow oven at a hundred and fifty degrees.
collocation: slow oven
The recipe says to cook the dish in a slow oven until golden.
After turning off the grill, wait until the oven is slow before wiping the inside.
Grandma always baked her bread in a slow oven for the best crust.
- slow oven
- slow cooker
- cool
more general; 'cool oven' is less common in recipes than 'slow oven'
Grammar Patterns
slow + noun (oven/cooker)
Usage Note
Primarily used in British cookbooks and recipes. In modern usage, specific temperature settings (gas mark or Celsius) have largely replaced 'slow oven' as a descriptive term.
To understand something either quickly or with difficulty.
Maya was slow on the uptake during the math lesson.
Is he always this slow on the uptake?
do a slow burn
idiomTo become angry gradually over time.
Sara did a slow burn when her colleague took credit.
Brian did a slow burn as the meeting dragged on.
To react to a situation either quickly or slowly.
Diego was quick off the mark and grabbed the last ticket.
The government was slow off the mark in responding to the crisis.
slow — verb
1. to begin to move or operate at a lower rate than before, or to cause someone or
to begin to move or operate at a lower rate than before, or to cause someone or something to do this — for example, a car slowing for a corner, or bad weather slowing construction work
The driver slowed the car as he approached the school crossing.
transitive: slow + noun phrase
Economic growth has slowed in recent months due to rising costs of materials.
Theo slowed his pace when he reached the top of the steep hill.
Heavy rain slowed work on the new bridge for several weeks.
collocation: slow + work / progress
- slow the car
- slow growth
- slow progress
- slow the pace
- slow production
- decelerate
more technical and formal, used especially in driving and physics contexts
- slacken
less common; suggests a gradual reduction in speed or effort
- brake
specific to vehicles; implies using the brake mechanism
- accelerate
the direct opposite — to increase speed
- speed up
the informal phrasal opposite of slow down
Grammar Patterns
slow + noun phrase
slow (down/up)
slow to + noun
Usage Note
Often used in phrasal form slow down (most common) or slow up (less common). Intransitive use (the car slowed) is very frequent; transitive use (he slowed the car) is more formal.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'The rain slowed down the construction.' (redundant with 'down' for slow already used) — This is actually acceptable; 'slow down' is a standard phrasal verb, not redundant.
slow down
phrasal verbto move or make something move at a lower speed; to become less busy or active in life
Lakshmi slowed down when she saw the police car in her rearview mirror.
The doctor told Christopher he needed to slow down and take a proper holiday.
slow up
phrasal verbto move or work more slowly; to cause someone or something to move at a slower pace
The roadworks slowed up traffic on the motorway for several miles.
Age has slowed Grandpa up a little, but he still walks to the market every morning.
slow — adverb
1. not quickly — used informally in place of 'slowly', especially in set phrases an
not quickly — used informally in place of 'slowly', especially in set phrases and instructions
Please drive slow — children are playing near the road.
informal use: drive slow
The warning sign at the site said 'Go Slow' in yellow letters.
Lien asked the taxi driver to go slow because she felt carsick.
The old sign on the mountain road reads 'Slow — Sharp Turn Ahead'.
- go slow
- drive slow
- slowly
the standard adverb form; preferred in formal and written English
Grammar Patterns
go slow
drive slow
walk slow
Usage Note
In formal writing, 'slowly' is preferred. The adverb 'slow' appears mainly in road signs (Slow — Children at Play), commands (Go slow), and informal speech. It is not used before verbs (*'He slow walked home').
Common Mistakes
Word family
- slowlyadverbA1
- slownessnounB2
- slow-movingadjectiveB2
- slow-wittedadjectiveC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
Slow is the most general word for lack of speed, covering movement, progress, and reaction time. Gradual focuses on change that happens step by step over time, without emphasis on speed — a gradual improvement can happen over weeks, not seconds. Leisurely carries a positive or neutral tone, suggesting a relaxed pace that someone chooses to enjoy (a leisurely walk, a leisurely lunch). Sluggish is strongly negative, implying something is moving far more slowly than it should or normally does (a sluggish economy, sluggish digestion). You can replace slow with sluggish only when criticising something as frustratingly slow, but not for neutral descriptions. For example: 'The traffic was slow' (neutral fact) vs. 'The traffic was sluggish' (complaint about crawling pace).
Common collocations
Etymology
The word slow comes from Old English slaw, which meant 'inactive, sluggish, or dull-witted.' It is related to Old Saxon sleu 'blunt, dull,' and Old High German sleo 'blunt, feeble.' Over time, the meaning shifted from a general sense of dullness or inactivity to the specific idea of low speed. The adverb use (go slow) dates back to the 15th century and has remained part of informal English ever since.