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

• laggardly
• leisurely
• pokily
• slow
• sluggishly
• tardily

Examples of slowly in a Sentence

Things are slowly getting better.

walked slowly toward the ringing phone

Recent Examples on the Web

The union’s effort to overturn the public financing at the ballot box is also moving slowly through the Nevada courts. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024

As more time goes by, the guests begin to slowly lose their memories and get the vibe that something’s off. —Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024

Instead of slowly rolling out metal detectors to all of its high schools in years to come as previously planned, the Broward School Board decided Tuesday to aggressively target all high schools by the end of the fall semester. —Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024

The workers turned the valves slightly, releasing the water slowly. —The Enquirer, 23 Apr. 2024

White pine blister rust, a non-native invasive fungus that slowly kills the tree, has wiped out more than 325 million whitebark pine trees and remain the primary threat to the species, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. —Lilia Geho, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2024

Currently, most multilateral institutions and funds move too slowly and are highly risk-averse. —Kelly Sims Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

This figure is slowly dropping as organizations realize the importance of well-being initiatives and other incentives for keeping morale high. —Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024

Then the horror slowly creeps over his watery eyes as the sauce builds on his tongue. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing slowly

• slowly but surely