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
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
dialectal, England
: a pass between hills
: the finest screenings of coal produced at a mine unusable as fuel unless cleaned
Synonyms
Adjective
Verb
Noun (1)
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
Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
On a slack line: In the cafe: In the surf:
This story was originally published March 5, 2019, 11:00 AM.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024
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
Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2024
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
Natalie Alcala, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
The heart of the order picked up the slack the next inning, as Matt Chapman lined a two-RBI double to extend the Giants’ lead to 4-0, though the burden only fell on his shoulders after Jorge Soler struck out looking with Jung Hoo Lee and Wilmer Flores on base.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024
As social media platforms pull back on monetization, brand deals pick up the slack.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024
Florida doesn’t have nearly enough doctors to take up the slack, and so, for many patients, the care simply disappeared when the law took effect last May.
—Casey Parks, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
On the sleeker side of the clutch spectrum, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley held The Row’s multi Gusset pouch close to her body while wearing black slacks and an oversized leather bomber.
—Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
Anthony Edwards again struggled from the field and, this time, there was no one else stepping up to pick up the slack.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2024
However, senior Jensen Scalzo and junior Maddie Jones picked up the slack and notched a 9.875 and a 9.9, respectively.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 5 Apr. 2024
With Huerter and Monk out, the Kings have relied on Keon Ellis, Davion Mitchell and Trey Lyles to pick up the slack in their place.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
Adjective
The wife seemed to know that the (sleeping) husband’s belly would be slack, sagging with gravity.
—Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
On a slack line: In the cafe: In the surf:
This story was originally published March 5, 2019, 11:00 AM.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024
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
Verb
This one-dish dinner solves the messiness issue without slacking in the kid-friendly department.
—Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2024
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
Noun
And don’t forget that the ultimate style icon Chloë Sevigny has been wearing Birkenstocks with socks for years, or that eternal cool girl Zoë Kravitz hops around the city in beat-up Vans paired with ultra-chic slacks by The Row.
—Natalie Alcala, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
The heart of the order picked up the slack the next inning, as Matt Chapman lined a two-RBI double to extend the Giants’ lead to 4-0, though the burden only fell on his shoulders after Jorge Soler struck out looking with Jung Hoo Lee and Wilmer Flores on base.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024
As social media platforms pull back on monetization, brand deals pick up the slack.
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024
Florida doesn’t have nearly enough doctors to take up the slack, and so, for many patients, the care simply disappeared when the law took effect last May.
—Casey Parks, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
On the sleeker side of the clutch spectrum, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley held The Row’s multi Gusset pouch close to her body while wearing black slacks and an oversized leather bomber.
—Alexis Bennett Parker, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
Anthony Edwards again struggled from the field and, this time, there was no one else stepping up to pick up the slack.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2024
However, senior Jensen Scalzo and junior Maddie Jones picked up the slack and notched a 9.875 and a 9.9, respectively.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 5 Apr. 2024
With Huerter and Monk out, the Kings have relied on Keon Ellis, Davion Mitchell and Trey Lyles to pick up the slack in their place.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 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.
Articles Related to slack
Dictionary Entries Near slack
Cite this Entry
“Slack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slack. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slack
1 of 3 adjective1
2
: not energetic
a slack pace
4
: not busy
a slack season
slackly
adverb
slackness
noun
slack
2 of 3 verb1
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
b
slack
3 of 3 noun1
: 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
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