slowly

adverb

slow·​ly ˈslō-lē 

: in a slow manner : not quickly, fast, early, rashly, or readily

Slow vs. Slowly: Usage Guide

Some commentators claim that careful writers avoid the adverb slow, in spite of the fact that it has had over four centuries of usage.

have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower

—William Shakespeare

In actual practice, slow and slowly are not used in quite the same way. Slow is almost always used with verbs that denote movement or action, and it regularly follows the verb it modifies.

beans … are best cooked long and slow

—Louise Prothro

Slowly is used before the verb

a sense of outrage, which slowly changed to shame

—Paul Horgan

and with participial adjectives.

a slowly dawning awareness … of the problem

—Amer. Labor

Slowly is used after verbs where slow might also be used

burn slow or slowly

and after verbs where slow would be unidiomatic.

the leadership turned slowly toward bombing as a means of striking back

—David Halberstam

Synonyms of slowly

• cautiously
• slow
• sluggishly
• carefully

Examples of slowly in a Sentence

Things are slowly getting better.

walked slowly toward the ringing phone

Recent Examples on the Web

Trains were slowly filling up with fans, many of whom skipped work, adjusted their schedules or were fortunate to have the day off. —Amina Kilpatrick, NBC news, 19 June 2026

Conservative Keiko Fujimori leads progressive Roberto Sánchez as votes are slowly counted from Peru’s presidential runoff election. —ABC News, 19 June 2026

Oil prices may also decline slowly as investors require evidence of lasting security, mine clearance and clarity on sanctions. —Angelica Ang, Fortune, 19 June 2026

As the funeral unfolds, however, the village’s dark secrets slowly emerge. —John Hopewell, Variety, 19 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing slowly

• slowly but surely

Rhymes for slowly

• coaly
• coli
• foley
• folie
• goalie
• holy
• lowly
• moly
• tolly
• wholly
• acholi
• emboli