Slowly
/ˈsləʊli/
Definitions
2 meaningsAt a low speed; taking a long time.
/ˈsləʊli/
At a low speed; not quickly.
He walked slowly along the beach.
💡 Simply: Like a snail, if you do something slowly, it takes a long time. For example, when you eat ice cream slowly, you can enjoy every bite!
👶 For kids: Taking a long time to do something, like when a turtle walks.
More Examples
The clock ticked slowly.
She ate her meal slowly, savoring each bite.
How It's Used
"The car moved slowly through the traffic."
"The reaction proceeded slowly due to the low temperature."
"The musician played the song slowly."
In a manner that involves gentleness, or a gradual process.
/ˈsləʊli/
In a gentle, unhurried way.
The couple fell in love slowly, over many years.
💡 Simply: When you do something slowly, it's about savoring the experience or taking your time. Like building a sandcastle, you do it slowly to make it perfect.
👶 For kids: Taking your time and not rushing, like drawing a picture carefully.
More Examples
She walked slowly to calm down.
The chef seasoned the dish slowly, to make sure it was just right.
How It's Used
"They are building their relationship slowly, not rushing into anything."
"The artist blended the colors slowly, creating a soft transition."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
Slow and steady wins the race
Patience and persistence are more important than speed or initial bursts of energy.
"Although it took him a long time to finish his project, slow and steady won the race, and he was eventually successful."
From Old English *slāwlice, equivalent to slow + -ly. The 'slow' root derives from Proto-Germanic *slaiwaz, meaning 'lazy, sluggish'.
Used in various forms in Old English, and became common in modern English with a consistent meaning reflecting low speed.
Memory tip
Imagine a snail moving very slowly to remember this word.
Word Origin
"lazy, sluggish"