lower

1 of 4

verb (1)

variants or less commonly lour
lowered also loured; lowering also louring; lowers also lours

intransitive verb

1
: to look sullen : frown
2
: to be or become dark, gloomy, and threatening
an overcast sky lowered over the village

lower

2 of 4

noun

variants or less commonly lour
: frown

lower

3 of 4

adjective

low·​er ˈlō-ər How to pronounce lower (audio)
1
: relatively low in position, rank, or order
2
: southern
lower New York State
3
: less advanced in the scale of evolutionary development
4
a
: situated or held to be situated beneath the earth's surface
b
capitalized : being an earlier epoch or series of the period or system named
Lower Cretaceous
Lower Paleolithic
5
: constituting the popular and often the larger and more representative branch of a bicameral legislative body
lower house

lower

4 of 4

verb (2)

low·​er ˈlō-ər How to pronounce lower (audio)
lowered; lowering; lowers

intransitive verb

: to move down : drop
also : diminish

transitive verb

1
a
: to let descend : let down
b
: to depress as to direction
lower your aim
c
: to reduce the height of
2
a
: to reduce in value, number, or amount
b(1)
: to bring down in quality or character : degrade
(2)
c
: to reduce the objective of
Phrases
lower the boom
: to deal a crushing blow or punishment

Examples of lower in a Sentence

Noun he turned to see the scornful lower on her face Adjective the ship's upper and lower decks The message appeared on the lower portion of the screen. the mountain's upper and lower slopes The forecast is for strong winds at lower elevations. in the lower and higher latitudes the lower and upper peninsulas
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 19 June 2023 Lower levels of gun ownership are associated with lower levels of police shootings, the report found. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 31 Jan. 2023 Two of the objects were flying at 40,000 feet or lower, while a third object flew about 20,000 feet over Lake Huron. Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2023 In Japan and the European Union, women are actually taxed at a lower rate. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 13 Feb. 2023 For instance, a married couple earning $200,000 in both 2022 and 2023 would save $900 in taxes this year because more of their income would be taxed at a lower rate, according to Tim Steffen, director of tax planning with Baird. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2023 The latter should also help address issues around inaccessible public transport and the lower rate of automobile ownership amongst people with disabilities. Gus Alexiou, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2023 The trial did not observe a lower rate of maternal deaths among women who got the antibiotic versus those who got the placebo. Helen Branswell, STAT, 9 Feb. 2023 Because no billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter. Lindsey Rupp, Bloomberg.com, 8 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lower.' 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

Verb (1)

Middle English louren; akin to Middle High German lūren to lie in wait

Adjective

low entry 1

First Known Use

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1575, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of lower was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near lower

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

lower

1 of 4 verb
low·​er
variants also lour
ˈlau̇(-ə)r
1
: to look angry or threatening : frown
2
: to become dark, gloomy, and threatening

lower

2 of 4 noun
variants also lour
: a wrinkling of the brow in displeasure

lower

3 of 4 adjective
low·​er ˈlō(-ə)r How to pronounce lower (audio)
1
: being below another or others in position, rank, or order
a lower court
the lower house of Congress
2
: less advanced in the scale of development through evolution
lower animals
3
capitalized : of, relating to, or being an earlier geologic period or formation
Lower Cretaceous

lower

4 of 4 verb
low·​er ˈlō(ə)r How to pronounce lower (audio)
1
: drop entry 2 sense 2b, diminish
lowered my voice
2
a
: to let fall
lower a flag
b
: to make the aim or goal lower
lower your aim
c
: to reduce the height of
lower a wall
3
a
: to reduce in value or amount
lower the price
b
: to bring down : degrade
lowered himself by lying
c
: to reduce in rank or position : humble
Etymology

Verb

Middle English louren "frown"

Adjective

comparative form of low

Medical Definition

lower

noun
: the lower member of a pair
especially : a lower denture

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