lower

verb low·er \ ˈlau̇(-ə)r , ˈlō-ər \

variants: or less commonly lour play \ˈlau̇(-ə)r\

|Updated on: 31 Jul 2018

Examples: lower in a Sentence

Definition of lower

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

Origin and Etymology of lower

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

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First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

lower

noun

variants: or less commonly lour

Definition of lower

: frown

Examples of lower in a Sentence

he turned to see the scornful lower on her face

First Known Use of lower

14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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lower Synonyms

lower

adjective low·er \ ˈlō-ər \

Definition of lower

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

See lower defined for English-language learners

Examples of lower in a Sentence

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 of lower from the Web

Burger chains overall fall at the lower end of the fast-food industry.

— caroline judelson, Fox News, "Chick-fil-A holds lead as top fast-food restaurant for third year; Cracker Barrel no longer first in full-service," 6 July 2018
These gaps at the lower end of the labor market can be traced back to weak government programs and hamstrung union bargaining, the report says.

— andrew van dam, latimes.com, "The economy is hot, yet many U.S. workers feel left behind. A new report sheds some light," 5 July 2018
These gaps at the lower end of the labor market can be traced back to weak government programs and hamstrung union bargaining, the report says.

— andrew van dam, chicagotribune.com, "Is it great to be a worker in the U.S.? Not compared with the rest of the developed world.," 5 July 2018
These gaps at the lower end of the labor market can be traced back to weak government programs and hamstrung union bargaining, the report says.

— andrew van dam, BostonGlobe.com, "Limited unionization and government aid hold back US workers, study says," 4 July 2018
At the lower end, the bottom 50 percent of earners – half of all taxpayers – paid only 2.6 percent of all income taxes.

— christopher keating, courant.com, "Eliminating The Income Tax Is A Popular Topic For Republicans On The Campaign Trail, But Actually Doing It Is More Difficult," 1 July 2018
Last year his footwork was poor, and his upper and lower body were never in sync.

— SI.com, "Fantasy Football Preseason Reports: A Scout’s Take on Every Team," 5 July 2018
The smaller unit, called Studio 160, includes a kitchen with dishwasher and microwave, upper and lower cabinets, stove, oven, fridge and even a pantry.

— megan barber, Curbed, "160-square-foot shipping container house asks $55K," 11 June 2018
Behind the dining room table is more of Offaim’s collection of glasses and pottery, stored in golden yellow cabinets that serve as a kind of casual breakfront, with olive green wainscotting set between the upper and lower cabinets.

— jessica steinberg, Bon Appetit, "The Well-Crafted Kitchen: Inside an Israeli Chef’s Stunning Farmhouse and Garden," 8 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lower.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of lower

³low

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

lower Synonyms

Synonyms

inferior, junior, less, lesser, minor, smaller, subordinate;

Antonyms

greater, higher, major, more, primary, prime, senior, superior;

Near Antonyms

choice, exceptional, first-class, first-rate;

Related Words

little, mean, small;

minute, petty;

jerkwater, one-horse, second-class, second-rate, two-bit;

associate, auxiliary, secondary, subsidiary;

lower

verb low·er \ ˈlō-ər \

Definition of lower

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) : abase, humble

c : to reduce the objective of

— lower the boom

: to deal a crushing blow or punishment

First Known Use of lower

1575

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

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LOWER Defined for English Language Learners

lower

adjective

Definition of lower for English Language Learners

: located below another or others of the same kind
: located toward the bottom part of something
: not high above the ground

LOWER Defined for Kids

lower

adjective low·er \ ˈlō-ər \

Definition of lower for Students

1 : located below another or others of the same kind

a lower floor

2 : located toward the bottom part of something

the lower back

3 : placed below another or others in rank or order

a lower court

4 : less advanced or developed

lower animals

lower

verb

Definition of lower for Students

lowered; lowering

1 : to move to a level or position that is below or less than an earlier one

The sun lowered in the west.

2 : to let or pull down

He lowered a flag.

3 : to make or become less (as in value, amount, or volume)

The store lowered the price.

4 : to reduce the height of

We'll lower the fence.

Medical Dictionary

lower

noun

medical Definition of lower

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

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See words that rhyme with lower Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lower Spanish Central: Translation of lower Nglish: Translation of lower for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of lower for Arabic speakers

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lower

Definition of lower

Origin and Etymology of lower

lower

Definition of lower

Examples of lower in a Sentence

First Known Use of lower

lower Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

lower

Definition of lower

Examples of lower in a Sentence

Recent Examples of lower from the Web

Origin and Etymology of lower

lower Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

lower

Definition of lower

First Known Use of lower

Phrases Related to LOWER

Related Phrases

LOWER Defined for English Language Learners

lower

Definition of lower for English Language Learners

LOWER Defined for Kids

lower

Definition of lower for Students

lower

Definition of lower for Students

Medical Dictionary

lower

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