Synonyms: Slow

Whether you're using dial-up internet or watching paint dry, the words on this list cover every slow situation. Hurry up and learn them all! For more synonym lists, explore our Say What You Mean resources.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. creep
    move slowly
    I crept as slowly as my nerves would allow, keeping to the blind of the biggest trees. Endangered
  2. glacial
    relating to or derived from a slowly moving mass of ice
    A royal attendant fetches the teapot from the center of the table and pours into the pristine china, and the quiet hangs as she fixes her tea at a glacial pace, making them wait. Red, White & Royal Blue
    Besides being extremely cold, glaciers also move incredibly slowly — sometimes only inches in a year.
  3. gradual
    proceeding in small stages
    Change is gradual and incremental, and when one lives in the midst of one’s family, one rarely notices differences in them. Long Walk to Freedom
  4. laggard
    someone who takes more time than necessary
    And Germany, long a laggard in adopting electric vehicles, saw more people buy electrics in December than opted for previously dominant diesel vehicles. Seattle Times (Jan 12, 2021)
    If you lag behind your friends on a walk, you're a laggard.
  5. leisurely
    not hurried or forced
    Away from the office, Barack and I talked endlessly, over leisurely walks around Hyde Park dressed in shorts and T-shirts and meals that seemed short to us but in reality went on for hours. Becoming
  6. lethargic
    deficient in alertness or activity
    The sea moved in a lethargic way, as if already exhausted by the oncoming heat. Life of Pi
    Lethargic is lazy, sleepy, and slow. It comes from the Greek words lethe, "forgetfulness," and argos, "not working."
  7. loiter
    linger, remain, or wait around for no apparent reason
    Although I knew it was risky, I loitered as close to the gates as possible, waiting for a moment when I might be able to dart through them. The Boy on the Wooden Box
    Loitering is a fancy way of saying "hanging around, not doing anything." It originated in the Dutch leuteren, meaning "to shake" or "to flap," like a loose sail with no wind.
  8. plod
    the act of walking with a slow heavy gait
    I plodded joylessly on to the top of the mountain. A Walk in the Woods
  9. slothful
    disinclined to work or exertion
    Your lads are slothful, and are idling in the streets. Zweig, Stefan
    Sloths are famous for moving slowly.
  10. sluggish
    moving slowly
    But even Finn seemed weighted down, his steps sluggish. The Strangers
    So are slugs.
  11. stagnant
    not growing or changing; without force or vitality
    Dragonflies skated over the scum on the stagnant backwater. A Long Way from Chicago
    Stagnant water usually smells bad and is full of mosquito larvae.
  12. torpid
    slow and apathetic
    She woke up torpid each morning, slowed by sadness, frightened by the endless stretch of day that lay ahead. Americanah
    To be torpid is to be dormant, motionless, or asleep.
Created on Fri Feb 28 22:44:04 EST 2020 (updated Wed Mar 03 20:47:35 EST 2021)

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