Meaning & use
slacken
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
to become less tight or firm; to make something less tight or firm.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (slacken the rope) or without (the rope slackened).
Patterns
- slacken something
- something slackens
- slacken your grip
He slackened the rope so the boat could drift closer.
Her grip on the handle slackened as she grew tired.
The rules were slackened to allow more visitors.
verbintransitive
to become less active, intense, or fast; to make something less active, intense, or fast.
Grammar: Often used without an object, especially about speed, effort, or rain.
Patterns
- slacken off
- slacken speed
- the pace slackens
The rain slackened by late afternoon.
Don't slacken your efforts now that the finish line is near.
Traffic usually slackens after rush hour.
Word forms
| third person singular | slackens |
|---|---|
| past tense | slackened |
| past participle | slackened |
| -ing form | slackening |
Common combinations
- slacken your grip
- He slackened his grip on the steering wheel.
- slacken the pace
- The runners slackened the pace in the final mile.
- slacken off
- You shouldn't slacken off just because the teacher is away.
- slacken speed
- The train slackened speed as it approached the station.
Synonyms and how they differ
- loosen
- Loosen is often used for making something less tight, like a screw or clothing; slacken is more common for ropes, grips, or abstract things like rules.
- relax
- Relax can mean to become less strict or tense, similar to slacken, but it is also used for people resting, which slacken is not.
- ease
- Ease suggests a gentle reduction in intensity or speed; slacken often implies a decrease in tightness or effort.
Opposites
Word family
- slack adjective
- not tight or firm; also meaning not busy or active.
- slackness noun
- the state of being loose or not strict.
Commonly confused: slacken or slake?
slacken vs slake
Slake means to satisfy thirst or a desire, as in 'slake your thirst'. It is not related to making something less tight.
Practice
Choose the correct word: The driver ______ his grip on the wheel as the road straightened.
Choose one answer.
The past tense 'slackened' fits because it describes making a grip less tight. 'Slaked' means satisfied thirst, 'slacked' is not a standard past form for this meaning, and 'slacken' is the base form, which does not fit the past tense here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “slacken”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.