slow

/sloʊ/

adjective

  1. Moving, happening, or operating at a low speed.

    A1

    comparative: slower; superlative: slowest

    • "The bus is very slow."A1
    • "The old computer is slow."A2
    • "The slow internet connection made it difficult to download the file."B1

  2. Taking more time than usual to understand, learn, or do something.

    B1
    • "I am slow at learning new languages."B1
    • "He was a slow reader as a child, but he became more confident with practice."B2

  3. Having little activity, business, or demand.

    B2
    • "Business is slow today."B2
    • "The restaurant has been slow since the new one opened nearby."B2

adverb

  1. At a low speed or rate.

    A1

    Also commonly expressed as slowly

    • "Please speak slow."A1
    • "The car was moving slow because of the heavy traffic."B1

verb

  1. To make something happen, develop, or move less quickly.

    B1

    transitive; often used as slow down

    • "Slow down! You are walking too fast."A2
    • "The medicine will slow the growth of the tumor."B1
    • "The pilot slowed the plane before landing."B1

Common mistakes

  • He drives slow.→He drives slowly.

    Use slowly as the adverb in careful or formal English; slow is common in informal speech.

Collocations

slow downslow speedslow progressslow growthslow learnerslow motionslow cookerslow pace

Word family

slowlyslownessslowdownslowest