slow
gb/slˈoʊ/ us/slˈoʊ/
A1
Anglais
~ 1800
Sens
0 sens
adjective
A1
property
1
Not fast in movement or action
Moving or happening at a low speed.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] is slow
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'slow' with 'late'. 'Slow' describes speed, not time of arrival.
Synonymes
unhurried (Implies a relaxed pace without urgency.)
Antonymes
fast (Describes high speed or quick movement, opposite of slow.)
Collocations
slow progress
|slow pace
|slow traffic
|slow growth
|slow recovery
Thèmes
daily life
|transport
|time
|core_vocabulary
|travel
Exemples
- The bus was slow because of heavy traffic.
- Economic growth has been slow this year.
- She walked at a slow pace along the beach.
- The computer is very slow today.
- Recovery after the surgery was slow.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The car is slow.
- My phone is slow today.
- He walks slow to enjoy the park.
- The train is slow this morning.
- The internet is slow here.
Verbe
A2
action
2
Make something move slower
To make something go more slowly.
Schéma d’usage :
to slow [something] down
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes forget to use 'down' after 'slow' in phrasal form when talking about reducing speed.
Synonymes
decelerate (More formal/technical term often used in scientific or driving contexts.)
Antonymes
speed up (Means to increase speed; opposite of slow in this sense.)
Collocations
slow down
|slow traffic
|slow the process
Thèmes
daily life
|transport
|core_vocabulary
|transportation
Exemples
- The driver slowed the car as he approached the school.
- Please slow down when you speak; I can't follow you.
- The project slowed after the funding was cut.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Slow down when you drive.
- He slowed the bike before the corner.
- The rain slowed the game.
adjective
B1
property
3
Taking time to understand or respond
Needing more time than others to think or understand.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] is slow to [verb]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may misuse this sense in a way that sounds insulting; context and tone matter.
Synonymes
unresponsive (Implies not reacting quickly, though can be more extreme than 'slow'.)
Antonymes
quick-witted (Able to think and respond quickly, opposite of mentally slow.)
Collocations
slow learner
|slow to respond
Thèmes
emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- He's a bit slow to understand new technology.
- I was slow to realize what she meant.
- Some students are slow learners but still succeed.
Exemples pédagogiques
- She is slow to answer questions.
- He is a slow learner.
- I am slow to understand this topic.
adjective
B2
property
4
Having low sensitivity to light (photography)
In photography, needing more light to make a picture.
Synonymes
low-speed (Technical term for film or shutter settings requiring more light.)
Antonymes
fast (film) (Film or settings that need less light; opposite of slow in photography.)
Collocations
slow shutter speed
|slow film
Thèmes
photography
|technology
|arts_entertainment
Exemples
- Use a slow shutter speed for low-light scenes.
- Slow film gives finer grain but needs more light.
- Photographers often use a tripod with slow exposures.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I used a slow shutter speed for this photo.
- Slow film needs more light.
- A tripod helps with slow photos.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
slow
API
GB/slˈoʊ/
US/slˈoʊ/
Syllabes et accentuation
slow (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (slow)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: slow
- Comparative: slower
- Superlative: slowest
Verb
- Base: slow
- 3rd Person Singular: slows
- Present Participle: slowing
- Past: slowed
Famille de mots
Forms
slows
verb
slowing
verb
slowed
verb
slower
adjective
slowest
adjective
Core family
slowly
adverb A1
slowness
noun
Related words
slowdown
noun
sluggish
adjective
sluggishly
adverb
Advanced or less common
sluggishness
noun
Expressions
in the slow lane
1/ˈɪn ðə slˈoʊ lˈeɪn/
idiom
informal
Living or working at a slower pace than others
Living or working more slowly than other people around you.
Exemples
- Since retiring, they’ve been living in the slow lane.
- I feel like I’m stuck in the slow lane at work.
on the slow side
1/ˈɔn ðə slˈoʊ sˈaɪd/
idiom
informal
A bit slower than usual or expected
A little slower than normal or wanted.
Exemples
- The service here is on the slow side today.
- He’s on the slow side when it comes to learning new software.
slow down
1/slˈoʊ dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
Reduce speed or activity level
To go slower or make something go slower.
Exemples
- You should slow down when driving in the rain.
- Production slowed down after the strike.
take it slow
1/tˈeɪk ˈɪt slˈoʊ/
idiom
informal
Proceed carefully and without hurry
To do something slowly and carefully, without rushing.
Exemples
- Let's take it slow and not make mistakes.
- We decided to take it slow in our relationship.