Meaning & use
slowly
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Meanings
adverbcomparable
At a low speed, taking more time than usual.
Grammar: Goes with an action verb: walk slowly. Compare: a slow walk.
Patterns
- move slowly
- speak slowly
Please speak slowly so I can write this down.
The truck crawled slowly up the hill.
She slowly opened the door and looked in.
adverbcomparable
Over a long period, with small steps of change.
Grammar: Often placed before a change verb: slowly improve.
Patterns
- slowly become something
- slowly improve
Her health slowly improved over the winter.
The town is slowly recovering from the flood.
Slowly, he began to trust them.
Word forms
| comparative | more slowly |
|---|---|
| superlative | most slowly |
Common combinations
- move slowly
- The traffic moved slowly all morning.
- slowly but surely
- Slowly but surely, the team closed the gap.
- drive slowly
- Drive slowly near the school.
- slowly and carefully
- He lifted the box slowly and carefully.
- slowly recover
- The economy is slowly recovering.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gradually
- Stresses step-by-step change over time, rather than low speed.
- leisurely
- Suggests a relaxed pace by choice, often in a pleasant setting.
- sluggishly
- Suggests lack of energy or response, usually critical.
- unhurriedly
- Describes calm lack of rush, and is more formal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: slowly or slow?
slowly vs slow
In informal speech slow is sometimes used as an adverb (drive slow), but slowly is the standard form in writing.
Practice
Choose the best word: The ice cream melted ___ in the shade, taking over an hour.
Choose one answer.
An adverb is needed to describe how the ice cream melted, so slowly is right. Slow is the adjective and slowness is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “slowly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.