What is another word for slow?

Across its 11 senses, slow has 23 distinct synonyms: dense, dim, dull, dumb, obtuse, boring, deadening, ho-hum, and others. Each belongs to a specific meaning, listed on this page under the sense it serves.

What is the opposite of slow?

The recorded antonym is fast. Opposites are sense-specific too: this page shows which meaning each one is the opposite of, because a word rarely has a single opposite that holds for all of its senses.

Why are the synonyms for slow split into groups?

Because slow carries 11 recorded senses and each has its own set of substitutes. A single flat list would put words from unrelated meanings side by side with nothing to tell them apart, which is exactly how a writer picks the wrong one. The grouping comes from WordNet's synsets, not from an editorial judgement of ours.

Where do the synonyms for slow come from?

From Princeton University's WordNet, a lexical database maintained by lexicographers since 1985. A synonym here means a word form that shares a synset with this word — a set of forms interchangeable in one recorded context. Nothing on this page is generated by a language model.

Synonyms and antonyms

slow

slow/ˈsloʊ/

adjectiveverbadverbCore

slow has 23 distinct synonyms spread across 8 of its 11 senses. Each sense below keeps its own list, because a synonym belongs to a meaning and not to a word: swapping one sense's substitute into another sense's sentence is how a thesaurus makes writing worse. Its one recorded opposite is fast.

23
Distinct synonyms: 1
Antonym: 11 of 11
Senses with a relation

Counts are distinct word forms across every sense. A synonym that appears under three senses is counted once here and shown three times below, under each sense it belongs to.

slow as an adjective

6 of 6 senses carry a relation

1.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
“a slow walker”
SynonymsNo synonym recorded for this sense.
Antonymsfast
2.
at a slow tempo
“the band played a slow waltz”
SynonymsNo synonym recorded for this sense.
Antonymsfast
3.
slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
“so dense he never understands anything I say to him”
Synonymsdense dim dull dumb obtuse
4.
(used of timepieces) indicating a time earlier than the correct time
“the clock is slow”
SynonymsNo synonym recorded for this sense.
Antonymsfast
5.
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
“a boring evening with uninteresting people”
Synonymsboring deadening dull ho-hum irksome tedious tiresome wearisome
6.
(of business) not active or brisk
“business is dull (or slow)”
Synonymsdull sluggish

slow as a verb

3 of 3 senses carry a relation

1.
lose velocity; move more slowly
“The car decelerated”
Synonymsdecelerate slow down slow up retard
Related
Broaderdecrease
Narrowerdelay
2.
become slow or slower
“Production slowed”
Synonymsslow down slow up slack slacken
Related
Broaderweaken
3.
cause to proceed more slowly
“The illness slowed him down”
Synonymsslow down slow up
Related
Broaderdecelerate
Narrowerbog down clog

slow as an adverb

2 of 2 senses carry a relation

1.
without speed (`slow' is sometimes used informally for `slowly')
“he spoke slowly”
Synonymsslowly easy tardily
2.
of timepieces
“the clock is almost an hour slow”
Synonymsbehind

Questions about slow

What is another word for slow?: Across its 11 senses, slow has 23 distinct synonyms: dense, dim, dull, dumb, obtuse, boring, deadening, ho-hum, and others. Each belongs to a specific meaning, listed on this page under the sense it serves.
What is the opposite of slow?: The recorded antonym is fast. Opposites are sense-specific too: this page shows which meaning each one is the opposite of, because a word rarely has a single opposite that holds for all of its senses.
Why are the synonyms for slow split into groups?: Because slow carries 11 recorded senses and each has its own set of substitutes. A single flat list would put words from unrelated meanings side by side with nothing to tell them apart, which is exactly how a writer picks the wrong one. The grouping comes from WordNet's synsets, not from an editorial judgement of ours.
Where do the synonyms for slow come from?: From Princeton University's WordNet, a lexical database maintained by lexicographers since 1985. A synonym here means a word form that shares a synset with this word — a set of forms interchangeable in one recorded context. Nothing on this page is generated by a language model.

Other views of slow

Synonyms, antonyms and the broader and narrower relations for slow come from Princeton University’s WordNet. Full sources and licences.

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Synonyms and antonyms

slow

slow/ˈsloʊ/

adjectiveverbadverbCore

23
Distinct synonyms: 1
Antonym: 11 of 11
Senses with a relation

Counts are distinct word forms across every sense. A synonym that appears under three senses is counted once here and shown three times below, under each sense it belongs to.

slow as an adjective

6 of 6 senses carry a relation

1.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
“a slow walker”
SynonymsNo synonym recorded for this sense.
Antonymsfast
2.
at a slow tempo
“the band played a slow waltz”
SynonymsNo synonym recorded for this sense.
Antonymsfast
3.
slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
“so dense he never understands anything I say to him”
Synonymsdense dim dull dumb obtuse
4.
(used of timepieces) indicating a time earlier than the correct time
“the clock is slow”
SynonymsNo synonym recorded for this sense.
Antonymsfast
5.
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
“a boring evening with uninteresting people”
Synonymsboring deadening dull ho-hum irksome tedious tiresome wearisome
6.
(of business) not active or brisk
“business is dull (or slow)”
Synonymsdull sluggish

slow as a verb

3 of 3 senses carry a relation

1.
lose velocity; move more slowly
“The car decelerated”
Synonymsdecelerate slow down slow up retard
Related
Broaderdecrease
Narrowerdelay
2.
become slow or slower
“Production slowed”
Synonymsslow down slow up slack slacken
Related
Broaderweaken
3.
cause to proceed more slowly
“The illness slowed him down”
Synonymsslow down slow up
Related
Broaderdecelerate
Narrowerbog down clog

slow as an adverb

2 of 2 senses carry a relation

1.
without speed (`slow' is sometimes used informally for `slowly')
“he spoke slowly”
Synonymsslowly easy tardily
2.
of timepieces
“the clock is almost an hour slow”
Synonymsbehind

Questions about slow

What is another word for slow?: Across its 11 senses, slow has 23 distinct synonyms: dense, dim, dull, dumb, obtuse, boring, deadening, ho-hum, and others. Each belongs to a specific meaning, listed on this page under the sense it serves.
What is the opposite of slow?: The recorded antonym is fast. Opposites are sense-specific too: this page shows which meaning each one is the opposite of, because a word rarely has a single opposite that holds for all of its senses.
Why are the synonyms for slow split into groups?: Because slow carries 11 recorded senses and each has its own set of substitutes. A single flat list would put words from unrelated meanings side by side with nothing to tell them apart, which is exactly how a writer picks the wrong one. The grouping comes from WordNet's synsets, not from an editorial judgement of ours.
Where do the synonyms for slow come from?: From Princeton University's WordNet, a lexical database maintained by lexicographers since 1985. A synonym here means a word form that shares a synset with this word — a set of forms interchangeable in one recorded context. Nothing on this page is generated by a language model.

Other views of slow

Synonyms, antonyms and the broader and narrower relations for slow come from Princeton University’s WordNet. Full sources and licences.

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slow as an adverb

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