slowlyslow‧ly /ˈsləʊli $ ˈsloʊ-/ ●●● S3 W2 adverb 
He shook his head slowly. ‘That’s true,’ said Joe slowly.2slowly but surely used to emphasize that a change is happening, although it is happening slowly: We are slowly but surely gaining the support of the public.THESAURUSslowly at a slow speed: · Large white clouds drifted slowly across the sky.· The situation is slowly improving.gradually happening slowly over a period of time: · I practised every day, and gradually got better.· Many of our forests are gradually disappearing.little by little/bit by bit slowly, in a series of small amounts or stages: · Add the olive oil, little by little.· It’s best to do the work bit by bit.at a snail’s pace extremely slowly, especially when this is annoying: · Traffic was moving at a snail’s pace.· The project seems to be moving at a snail’s pace.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Slowly prices began to fall.
- Ann drove away slowly.
- Can you speak more slowly? I can't understand what you're saying.
- He got up slowly out of his chair and came towards me.
- Her condition is slowly improving.
- Large white clouds drifted slowly across the deep blue sky.
- Lynne slowly began to realize the job wasn't as easy as it seemed.
- The situation is slowly improving.
- Their relationship has developed slowly, but they now consider each other close friends.
- Finally she turned round and, slowly and very reluctantly, began to make her way back towards the house.
- Gradually I descended the spruce tree and slowly crept toward the feeding birds.
- I woke slowly and swam up from the bottom of a dark sea.
- Some had been killed outright by flying shrapnel, others had been badly wounded and had died slowly.
- Start with a puddle and progress slowly to a small pool and shallow stream.
- The contagion spread slowly at first, almost unnoticed.
- The hospital machinery moved into action, but slowly.
- Turning around, as in making a 360-degree motion and seeing the surroundings spin slowly around you.
THESAURUS
at a slow speed: · Large white clouds drifted slowly across the sky.· The situation is slowly improving.
happening slowly over a period of time: · I practised every day, and gradually got better.· Many of our forests are gradually disappearing.
slowly, in a series of small amounts or stages: · Add the olive oil, little by little.· It’s best to do the work bit by bit.
extremely slowly, especially when this is annoying: · Traffic was moving at a snail’s pace.· The project seems to be moving at a snail’s pace.
Longman Language Activatorhappening or changing slowly · She's making a slow recovery after her illness.· Rebuilding the country's economy is likely to be a long, slow process.· For the first few months that I was taking lessons, my progress was extremely slow.
· The situation is slowly improving.· Slowly prices began to fall.· Their relationship has developed slowly, but they now consider each other close friends.
slowly over a period of time: · The climate is gradually becoming drier and warmer.· As the weeks passed, I gradually accepted the idea of him leaving.· Most patients gradually develop a resistance to the drug.
happening, developing, or changing slowly over a long period of time: · I had noticed a gradual improvement in her written work.· The chart showed a gradual rise in his temperature over the previous eight hours.· Because the cell destruction is gradual, a victim's pancreas can function normally for years.
happening or done slowly in a series of small amounts or stages - use this especially about something that is gradually improving: · Little by little, Greg's health improved.· Bit by bit, the dogs got used to their new surroundings.· Then add the olive oil, little by little, beating continuously until the sauce thickens.
if something, especially an improvement in something, happens slowly but surely , it happens slowly and steadily until it is completed: · Slowly but surely, the company is becoming successful again.· She's getting better, slowly but surely.
happening, developing, or changing very slowly, through a series of small changes that may be difficult to notice: · By degrees, little children grow less dependent on their parents.· The storm intensified by degrees until the rain was pouring down.
moving slowly or doing something slowly not moving quickly or not doing something quickly: · The train was slow, noisy, and uncomfortable.· I was always one of the slowest runners in my class.· My computer's really slow compared to the ones at school.slow to do something: · Farmers in the region have been slow to adopt modern agricultural methods.slow in doing something: · The CIA has been slow in turning over the documents that Congress requested.
· He got up slowly out of his chair and came towards me.· Can you speak more slowly? I can't understand what you're saying.· Large white clouds drifted slowly across the deep blue sky.· Lynne slowly began to realize the job wasn't as easy as it seemed.
moving slowly, especially because of being prevented from moving faster: · In the evenings the roads out of town are clogged with slow-moving traffic.· Lubbers are slow-moving flightless insects native to the southeastern U.S.· The canal's water was muddy and slow-moving.
moving or doing something slowly, especially because you are enjoying what you are doing and do not have to hurry: · Sunday mornings she gets up late and then has a leisurely breakfast with her family.· We spent a leisurely afternoon talking about old times.at a leisurely pace: · The two set off walking down the beach at a leisurely pace.
showing images or movement at a slower speed than is normal - use this especially about pictures in a film: · The car crash seemed to take place in slow-motion.· The documentary showed the hawk's dive in slow-motion.· Fans who taped the show can replay it in slow-motion to read the messages that whizzed by on screen.
if a vehicle travels at low speed , it moves more slowly than it usually does: · You'll save money on petrol if you drive your car at low speed.· The car came towards them at low speed, and then someone leaned out the back window and started shooting.
moving or doing something extremely slowly, especially when this is annoying: · Traffic was moving at a snail's pace.· The development project seems to be moving at a snail's pace.
moving more slowly than usual, especially because of a loss of power or energy: · The car felt sluggish as we drove up the hill.· The children were tired and sluggish and didn't seem interested in any of the games.
British /slowpoke American spoken someone who does something too slowly, works too slowly, walks too slowly, etc: · Come on, slowcoach! If you don't hurry up, we'll be late.· I hate getting stuck behind these slowpokes on the highway.
to do something slowly to do something slowly because you do not want to hurry, for example when you are making a decision or doing a difficult piece of work: · Just take your time. You don't have to decide immediately.take your time over/about: · Not wanting to seem too eager, Susan took her time about replying to the invitation.take your time doing something: · Alice took her time telling the story, making sure to include every detail.
use this when someone is happy to do something slowly, usually because they are enjoying what they are doing and want to continue doing it: · "Do you mind if we look around a little more?" "Not at all. I'm in no hurry."be in no hurry to do something: · The sun was shining and I was in no hurry to get back to the office.
to deliberately do something slowly over a long period of time, because you will get better results if you do it that way: · Let's take it slowly, one step at a time, okay?· You've just had a serious operation - you'll have to take things slowly for the next few weeks.
to move or work too slowly, especially because you are not really paying attention to what you are doing: · We'll never get all the shopping done today if you dawdle like this.dawdle over: · I can't see why those guys in the office are dawdling over this.
time passes slowly · The rest of the day went very slowly for Anne.· The lesson lasted all morning, and seemed to go even more slowly than usual.
if time drags , it seems to pass very slowly, especially because you are bored: · Why do physics lessons always seem to drag?drag by/on: · The day dragged on, and there was still no sign of Jake.· As time dragged on, I gradually got worse.· As the months drag by, you find out who your real friends are.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The economy has grown steadily. The plane moved slowly along the runway, then stopped. Any new exercise program should start slowly.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB
· Breathe slowly and try to relax.
· Things are gradually changing.
(=on a low heat)· Reduce the heat and cook gently for 20 minutes.
The economy has grown steadily. The plane moved slowly along the runway, then stopped. Any new exercise program should start slowly.· In these areas some houses were abandoned and slowly became derelict.· Three slowly becomes obsessed with cooking, cleaning, nice sweaters and the little specks of food stuck between teeth.· He would slowly become the focal point of his life.· He became slowly aware of his surroundings, like a man emerging from a long, drugged sleep.· Her trunk movements slowly became more controlled, so that Rose could begin to balance.· Worse, it was slowly becoming an overgrown weedy lot.· Pores enlarge and the skin slowly becomes coarser, as its natural collagen hardens.· That patch had slowly become an image of despair and frustration over many occasions since she had first shared his bed.
· She put her hand over its back and then slowly began to climb down.· An ice age begins slowly, almost imperceptibly, when the average temperature drops by a few degrees.· The paratroop officer failed and spent two years in prison, then slowly began to build his platform for government.· He was angry and felt humiliated, but with each passing day, he slowly began to accept his situation.· As the final starbursts exploded above the ferry, the fishing boat was set alight and slowly began to sink.· They emerge from periods of punctuated equilibrium with radically different structures that once again begin slowly evolving.· They began slowly, but dominated the second half.· He began slowly, afraid he was going to do it all wrong.
· The common grounds of everyday life were slowly changing, at least from where I stood, and so was the weather.· He waited politely, but while he was waiting his aspect slowly changed.· These ferns began to slowly change shape and structure during the Devonian, and some became tall and tree-like.· Future Buildings Housing will change slowly, lagging far behind technology capability.· People change slowly, but they change.· Yet the climate of opinion is slowly changing, reflecting the gradually widening appreciation of disability in society as a whole.· Opinions changed slowly in these wide-open spaces; they were not subject to the shifting whims of urban taste.
· However, the perm has just come slowly back again.· The arm seemed to be made of lead, but the circulation slowly came back.· Without answering, she left the room and came slowly down the stairs.· He came slowly and deliberately across the fields to the back door.· In her serene room, I have slowly come to feel safe.· New ideas came slowly to him through his studies.· The tears come slowly at first, easing down my cheeks.
· We drove slowly to where a sentry stood.· He drove slowly, with old-fashioned care, easing the Wolseley through the Saturday shoppers in the centre of the town.· It drove slowly, trailing her.· Toy trucks moved between hangars; a minute tractor drove slowly down the main runway.· The only traffic is usually other neighbors, folks who drive slowly and watch out for children and pets.· Rose drove slowly, but her face was stiff with tension.· Jean drove slowly home, automatically, her mind filled with dread.
· The traditional markets of western equipment companies are growing slowly, if at all.· Their steady, reliable earnings growth attracts investors primarily when the economy is growing slowly or not at all.· As time passed, the face in the picture grew slowly more terrible.· The numbers of the bilingual service providers which are already mentioned are growing slowly.· The demand for Navajo blankets slowly grew until the railroad arrived at reservation boundaries in 1881.· Individuals feed and grow slowly, spending longer at each growth stage and ultimately producing fewer eggs.· It was slowly growing louder and louder.
· She was moving slowly along the edge of the pavement when a car door swung open in front of her, blocking her path.· Despite the quick beginning, the effort moved slowly for much of 1980.· Each year the seasons would move slowly back through the calendar until Christmas ended up in the summer.· As a result, the stalled negotiations began to move slowly ahead, with some of them leading to mutually profitable agreements.· We would be wise, however, to move slowly.· Penelope outlined their bodies together and began to move slowly, very slowly, closing her eyes.· Nothing but the Man moved, and he moved slowly and seemed to get bigger all the time.· I felt Frank begin to move slowly inside me and I felt the doors to my body open.
· He nodded slowly and she felt his gaze drift to the gold band on her wedding finger.· She looked at me, nodded slowly and set the trowel on the wall.· He nods slowly, sits down.· Scott nodded slowly, opening his eyes.· Blanche nodded slowly and ran her tongue over her lips.· They nodded slowly, solemnly, like a jury passing sentence.
· He pulled the door open slowly.· Then he slowly opened his fist to run the palm over the edge of his plate, depositing the seeds.· I watched its blue and red wings slowly opening and closing on my chest.· He closed his eyes for an instant, then slowly opened them.· Then the doors opened slowly and a woman came out and stood tranquilly on the steps.
· After a moment he rose slowly, poured himself a whisky, returned to the Chesterfield and took a dismal sip.· Did one lift after death like a feather, rising slowly?· White-faced, too shocked for tears, she rose slowly to her feet.· The jet rose slowly, at first, and then ever so steeply, and the spectators cheered and clapped.· Aubrey rose slowly to his feet.· The slowly rising death rate for malignancies masks several cross-currents.· Hold on to the bannister rail and lower your heels down slowly, then slowly rise on tiptoe.· Still traveling above escape velocity, it slowly rose and grew fainter over Alberta, until it was no longer visible.
· The speech lasted exactly forty-five minutes, which, particularly as Baldwin spoke slowly, was not long.· She spoke Slowly with little rise and fall to her voice.· I have found one must speak slowly to people who live in the back streets of London.· Bob speaks slowly, laboriously, didactically.· He spoke slowly and clearly and smiled a lot.· Sabour spoke slowly, too, and he had a rather unnerving dead-level gaze.· He spoke slowly and without inflection.· He began asking me about my studies, speaking slowly and seemingly from someplace very far away.
· But it will start slowly, with initial plans for only four new superstores this year.· Each team started slowly offensively before catching fire in the final seven minutes of the opening period.· Against Team Cotswold, Partners started slowly and went 5-0 down and a late recovery was not enough to save the set.· They should be started slowly because of anticholinergic side effects that can occur, especially in older patients.· But you know that the accelerating effect on a Secondary Darkfall starts slowly and gains momentum.· He rose and then dived within her, starting slowly as if to the beating of a primal drum.· Their conversation starts slowly and in ritual fashion.· Then start slowly, and build up your speed as you go along.
· And without their thoughts, my mind turned slowly on the blaze in the armchair, one day coming.· Mr Chen was delighted: he snapped pictures while the spools of the tape recorder turned slowly.· I turned slowly away and felt the rush and zip of violently animated matter.· He kept his eye on a tan Ford turning slowly into the station and coming to a stop near the service area.· She turned slowly and looked at the figure in the chair.· Through the high-powered telescope, they could see that the asteroid was very irregular, and turning slowly end over end.· It turned slowly, which made things inside just heavy enough to stay on the ground.
· Silently, Kirov moved away from the table and began to walk slowly down the street.· An elderly man is walking slowly and painfully close to the wall, using it as support.· Giles walked slowly and quietly, thankful to be rescued.· They walk slowly through the halls.· He left the hospital and began to walk slowly along the boulevard leading back to the centre of Perugia.· They waited while the project supervisor and two of his assistants emerged from the airlock, then walked slowly toward the crater.· Then they walked slowly back to the shop.· In contrast walking slowly into a room may indicate reticence or apprehension.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
1at a slow speed OPP quickly: - Slowly but surely, the company is becoming successful again.
- He's slowly but surely making his way through college.
- She's getting better, slowly but surely.
- As regards the growth of the church, about a year after beginning to meet, slowly but surely we began to grow.
- But the others were moving, slowly but surely.
- Sheer tiredness relaxed her limbs, and slowly but surely the warmth sent her off to sleep.
- Solid, rock like, you don't move easily and you take things slowly but surely.
- The tangible, material aspect of this will come slowly but surely in the period between now and early November.
- Wendy says that slowly but surely our name is taking hold in this wide area.
- Yet slowly but surely they came back.
He shook his head slowly. ‘That’s true,’ said Joe slowly.2slowly but surely used to emphasize that a change is happening, although it is happening slowly: We are slowly but surely gaining the support of the public.THESAURUSslowly at a slow speed: · Large white clouds drifted slowly across the sky.· The situation is slowly improving.gradually happening slowly over a period of time: · I practised every day, and gradually got better.· Many of our forests are gradually disappearing.little by little/bit by bit slowly, in a series of small amounts or stages: · Add the olive oil, little by little.· It’s best to do the work bit by bit.at a snail’s pace extremely slowly, especially when this is annoying: · Traffic was moving at a snail’s pace.· The project seems to be moving at a snail’s pace.