lower

verb (1)

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low·er | \ ˈlau̇(-ə)r

, ˈlō-ər

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

lowered also loured; lowering also louring; lowers also lours

Definition of lower

(Entry 1 of 4)

intransitive verb

1 : to look sullen : frown

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

lower

noun

variants: or less commonly lour

Definition of lower (Entry 2 of 4)

: frown

lower

adjective

low·er | \ ˈlō-ər

Definition of lower (Entry 3 of 4)

1 : relatively low in position, rank, or order

2 : southern lower New York State

3 : less advanced in the scale of evolutionary development

4a : 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

verb (2)

low·er | \ ˈlō-ər

lowered; lowering; lowers

Definition of lower (Entry 4 of 4)

intransitive verb

: to move down : drop also : diminish

transitive verb

1a : to let descend : let down

b : to depress as to direction lower your aim

c : to reduce the height of

2a : 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

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About lower

Synonyms & Antonyms for lower

Synonyms: Noun

Synonyms: Adjective

Antonyms: Adjective

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 The current stock level is about 14% lower than at the end of December 2020. — Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 10 Jan. 2022 Hanyu recently won the Japanese nationals, but his short program score was more than four points lower than Chen's on Saturday. — Barry Wilner, ajc, 8 Jan. 2022 For the week that ended Dec. 1, U.S. restaurant seatings were 7% lower than 2019 levels, according to data from reservation service OpenTable Inc. — Heather Haddon, WSJ, 8 Jan. 2022 Freimuth said the sportsbook -- to be located directly across the lower half of the arena from the fan club -- would expand on the previous investments in the surrounding area. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, courant.com, 7 Jan. 2022 Rain and above-normal temperatures are expected at lower elevations. — Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 5 Jan. 2022 Not much snow is expected for the lower elevations in the Pacific Northwest, if anything. — Jennifer Gray, CNN, 4 Jan. 2022 Before Georgia defensive back Chris Smith sat down for his virtual Orange Bowl news conference, a blue disposable mask covered the lower half of his face. — New York Times, 31 Dec. 2021 According to the National Weather Service in Phoenix, a colder air mass this weekend into early next week will result in patchy freezing temperatures at lower elevations. — Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 31 Dec. 2021

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.