slack

1 of 5

adjective

1
: not using due diligence, care, or dispatch : negligent
2
a
: characterized by slowness, sluggishness, or lack of energy
a slack pace
b
: moderate in some quality
especially : moderately warm
a slack oven
c
: blowing or flowing at low speed
the tide was slack
3
a
: not tight or taut
a slack rope
b
: lacking in usual or normal firmness and steadiness : weak
slack muscles
slack supervision
4
: wanting in activity : dull
a slack market
5
: lacking in completeness, finish, or perfection
a very slack piece of work
slackly adverb
slackness noun

slack

2 of 5

verb

slacked; slacking; slacks

intransitive verb

1
: to be or become slack
2
: to shirk or evade work or duty

transitive verb

1
a
: to be slack or negligent in performing or doing
2
: to release tension on : loosen
3
a
: to cause to abate

slack

3 of 5

noun (1)

1
: cessation in movement or flow
2
: a part of something that hangs loose without strain
take up the slack of a rope
3
: trousers especially for casual wear
usually used in plural
4
: a dull season or period
5
a
: a part that is available but not used
some slack in the budget
b
: a portion (as of labor or resources) that is required but lacking
hired a temp to take up the slack
6
: additional leeway or relief from pressure
usually used with cut
refused to cut me some slack on the schedule

slack

4 of 5

noun (2)

dialectal, England
: a pass between hills

slack

5 of 5

noun (3)

: the finest screenings of coal produced at a mine unusable as fuel unless cleaned
Choose the Right Synonym for slack

negligent, neglectful, lax, slack, remiss mean culpably careless or indicative of such carelessness.

negligent implies inattention to one's duty or business.

negligent about writing a note of thanks

neglectful adds a more disapproving implication of laziness or deliberate inattention.

a society callously neglectful of the poor

lax implies a blameworthy lack of strictness, severity, or precision.

a reporter lax about accurate quotation

slack implies want of due or necessary diligence or care.

slack workmanship

remiss implies blameworthy carelessness shown in slackness, forgetfulness, or neglect.

had been remiss in their familial duties

Examples of slack in a Sentence

Adjective His broken arm hung slack at his side. The rope suddenly went slack. He accused the government of slack supervision of nuclear technology. Verb They need to stop slacking and get down to work. the skipper ordered the crew to slack off the sheets on the mainsail
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Photo: Sergio Flores/Bloomberg News J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ profit sank in the third quarter, sending a warning sign across a freight sector coping with slack demand and weak pricing. Ben Glickman, WSJ, 17 Oct. 2023 Evidence includes crew walking off the set in response to poor working conditions, reports that live rounds were being fired for target practice, and slack adherence to gun safety training protocols. USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Their defending for Jefferson Lerma’s opener was slack with the opposition attacker afforded far too much space to get his shot away. Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 At times, Byron Wu and Brad Falchuk’s series goes slack and switches tones too abruptly while firing off jokes that go splat. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2024 For one person living with narcolepsy, an attack might look like a slack jaw or limp hand. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2024 In the first act, several sections feel dramatically slack, and a montage scene juggling multiple storylines at once is too busy. Tim Diovanni, Dallas News, 29 July 2021 Instead, the movie amounts to some gleefully grotesque moments scattered across an arch but slack pseudo-drama, fluent in the psychobabble spoken by a few too many entries in this genre. Zachary Barnes, WSJ, 26 Oct. 2023 Yet her character’s purpose becomes perilously blurred, and there is something slack and unfocussed at the core of the plot. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2023
Verb
Blazers and slacks outshone chipmakers in 2023 despite the furore around AI—and the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch says targeting young millennials was the golden ticket. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2024 As the sober-curious movement grows, mocktail menus in the area don’t slack on effort, featuring mindful ingredients and a beautiful presentation. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024 The report is a positive sign for EV sales after major automakers reported that demand was slacking. Nancy Vu, Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2024 Many of us are accustomed to slacking our bosses, not making eye contact with them while holding spicy margaritas and wearing ugly sweaters. Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 5 Dec. 2023 Not one to slack on the accessories, Shayk wore a pair of small, futuristic rectangular shades, and a pair of black leather Maison Margiela Tabi boots. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2023 Self-confidence and flexibility are not just fancy job titles for slacking. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023 Under its influence, Ze dyes his hair, starts slacking on his schoolwork and getting into trouble in class. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023 Made with 100% cotton, these plush terry towels offer plenty of absorbency without slacking on comfort. Lauren Wellbank, Woman's Day, 17 Aug. 2023
Noun
The other, a white dress shirt and slacks, was more dressed up with a black blazer, a cardigan wrapped around his shoulders and thick-frame glasses for a preppy vibe. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Justin, on the other hand, opted for a simple look: beige slacks, a black hoodie (hood up, naturally), and a black scarf. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024 On Monday, the Palestinian Authority’s prime minister presented the resignation of the beleaguered entity’s entire government, as the United States and other governments look to it to reform and pick up the slack after the fighting eventually stops. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 He’s dressed in black leather loafers, blue slacks, a neon construction vest, safety goggles and a hard hat. John Hyatt, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 The archdiocese isn’t cutting parishioners any slack this year, however. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024 The Monarchs tried to pick up scoring slack but couldn’t keep up with the Warriors. Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 10 Feb. 2024 Lee arrived dressed in a purple suit jacket and black slacks. Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2024 If one income source falters, others can pick up the slack. Melissa Houston, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English slak, from Old English sleac; akin to Old High German slah slack, Latin laxus slack, loose, languēre to languish, Greek lagnos lustful and perhaps to Greek lēgein to stop

Noun (2)

Middle English slak, from Old Norse slakki

Noun (3)

earlier sleck, probably from Middle Dutch slacke, slecke slag

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1729, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slack was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near slack

Cite this Entry

“Slack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slack. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

slack

1 of 3 adjective
1
2
: not energetic
a slack pace
3
a
: not tight : not tense or taut
a slack rope
b
: lacking in firmness : weak, soft
slack control
4
: not busy
a slack season
slackly adverb
slackness noun

slack

2 of 3 verb
1
a
: to be or become slack or careless in performing or doing
b
: lessen
the wind slacked off
2
: to avoid work or duty
3
4
a
: to cause to lessen

slack

3 of 3 noun
1
: a stopping of movement or flow
2
: a part of something that hangs loose without strain
take up the slack of a rope
3
plural : trousers especially for casual wear
4
: a dull season or period : lull
5
: additional tolerance or relief from pressure
cut me some slack

More from Merriam-Webster on slack

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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