Slower

How to spell slower

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce slower

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does slower mean?

1. adjectiveMoving, operating, or happening at a lower speed than something else.
2. adverbAt a lower speed; more slowly.

Slower in a sentence

• adjective

  The new route is slower but far more scenic.

• adverb

  Please drive slower on the icy bend near the bridge.

• adjective

  His broadband connection is slower than the office network.

• adverb

  The kettle seems to boil slower at high altitude.

Where does slower come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is the comparative form of 'slow', which descends from the Old English adjective slāw, meaning 'sluggish', 'dull', or 'lazy'. That root traces back to a common Germanic source, with relatives in Old Norse slær and Dutch sleeuw, all carrying a sense of slackness or inactivity. Interestingly, the earliest English uses leaned toward 'dull-witted' rather than merely 'low in speed', and a trace of that survives in the modern phrase 'slow on the uptake'. The comparative is built simply by adding the regular English suffix -er, so 'slow' becomes 'slower'; the spelling keeps the silent w of the base form, which is the part writers occasionally drop. The everyday word 'sloth' for slowness shares the same Germanic family.

How the word is built

• slow (from Old English slāw: sluggish, dull)
• -er (comparative suffix)