belonging to or characteristic of an early level of skill or development
once considered the latest thing, electric typewriters now look like low technology indeed
How does the adjective low contrast with its synonyms?
The words base and vile are common synonyms of low. While all three words mean "deserving of contempt because of the absence of higher values," low may connote crafty cunning, vulgarity, or immorality and regularly implies an outraging of one's sense of decency or propriety.
refused to listen to such low talk
When could base be used to replace low?
While the synonyms base and low are close in meaning, base stresses the ignoble and may suggest cruelty, treachery, greed, or grossness.
base motives
When can vile be used instead of low?
Although the words vile and low have much in common, vile, the strongest of these words, tends to suggest disgusting depravity or filth.
a vile remark
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of low
Adjective
The heat will ease only slightly on Wednesday as the front starts to impinge on the central US, but the South will continue to swelter under widespread temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2026 High pressure building into the region will bring mostly clear skies, much lower humidity, and genuinely cool mornings.—
Michael Autovino,
CBS News,
13 Oct. 2026
Noun
London — Oil prices climbed Thursday on continued worries about global supply following a record number of tanker attacks that sent crossings through the Strait of Hormuz to a two-month low.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2026 The 594 gunshot victims are down from the previous low of 694 people shot during the same time frame last year and in 2018 — and is the lowest since the NYPD created its current crime-tracking system, Compstat, in 1994.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
8 Oct. 2026
Adverb
Like Klein’s last album, the fantastic sleep with a cane, much of the album is taken up by string samples that hover in the stereo field like a low-hanging fog.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
7 Oct. 2026 Officials say residents in the affected counties should expect to spot low-flying airplanes or helicopters during these times.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for low
Extreme tropical weather led to two deaths in Mexico and caused widespread damage over the weekend as Hurricane Simon pounded the country's Pacific coast, authorities said Monday.
—
JAIMIE DING,
Arkansas Online,
13 Oct. 2026
Chocolate moelleux and tropical sorbet, both elevated with a flavoured crumble (cardamom and lime, respectively) finished off the meal with a satisfying hit of sweetness.
These primitive instincts are highly attuned to potential danger and are often triggered before our conscious mind registers that something isn’t right.
—
Georgia Casey,
Allure,
9 Oct. 2026
When our skin senses heat, those signals travel to a primitive part of the brain that tells our body to cool down.
The 23-year-old Texas product, whom the Packers took in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, caught six passes from quarterback Jordan Love for a career-high 123 yards, including a 50-yard snag to help Green Bay humble the Bears.
—
Scott Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2026
The humble price tag has long served as a common measure of value for consumers.
Both have built much of their appeal on opposition to the political establishment, the promise to wish away budget constraints, and deep hostility toward the European Union.
—
Nicholas Bequelin,
Time,
16 Oct. 2026
Acting was his guiding passion, but his deep love for the avant-garde helped till the ground for the city’s theatrical renaissance that the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival catalyzed.
Its aim is to make rail practical for shipments that are often moved by trucks because conventional freight trains are less flexible on shorter routes.
Smith turned two short catches into dazzling scores, and Sayin connected with tight ends Nate Roberts and Mason Williams for TDs as the Buckeyes (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten) opened a 31-10 halftime lead despite some sloppy moments.
—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Oct. 2026
Copy Citation
