low gear

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   A gear setting on a car, bicycle or machine that gives strong pulling power at slow speed, used for climbing hills or starting off.

   Grammar: Often used without an article after in: she drove up the hill in low gear.

   Patterns

   • in low gear
   • shift into low gear

   He shifted into low gear to climb the steep road.

   The truck crawled down the mountain in low gear to save its brakes.

   On the bike, I switched to low gear before the hill.

2. 2noununcountablefigurativeinformal

   A slow, relaxed or less active state of working or progress.

   Grammar: Figurative use after in or into: the project is in low gear.

   Patterns

   • in low gear
   • go into low gear

   After the holidays, the whole office seemed to be in low gear.

   Negotiations have been in low gear since the deadline passed.

   The team stayed in low gear until the manager arrived.

Common combinations

shift into low gear

Shift into low gear before you go down the slope.

in low gear

The engine whined as the car climbed in low gear.

drop into low gear

The driver dropped into low gear for the muddy track.

stay in low gear

Stay in low gear when towing a heavy trailer.

low gear ratio

A low gear ratio helps a cyclist climb steep hills.

Synonyms and how they differ

first gear

First gear is the lowest numbered gear in a car and is the most common example of low gear.

bottom gear

Bottom gear is a British term for the lowest gear and means the same as low gear.

crawler gear

Crawler gear is a very low gear found on trucks and tractors for very slow, powerful movement.

Opposites

Word family

gear noun

a toothed wheel or setting that transfers engine power

gear verb

to adjust or prepare something for a purpose

gearbox noun

the part holding a vehicle's gears

Commonly confused: low gear or low speed?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “low gear”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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