lower

1 of 4

verb (1)

low·​er ˈlau̇(-ə)r  ˈlō-ər 

variants or less commonly lour

ˈlau̇(-ə)r 

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 

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 

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

Phrases

lower the boom

: to deal a crushing blow or punishment

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• darken
• gloom
• glower

Noun

• face
• frown
• grimace
• moue
• mouth
• mow
• mug
• pout
• scowl
• snoot

Adjective

• inferior
• junior
• less
• lesser
• minor
• smaller
• subordinate

Verb (2)

• depress
• drop
• throw
• throw down

Example Sentences

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

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Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

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

The strong economic rebound following the pandemic lockdowns combined with a lower rate of labor force participation has created an unusually tight labor market. —David Harrison, WSJ, 8 Feb. 2023

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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

Phrases Containing lower

• lower case
• lower criticism
• lower class
• raise/lower the temperature
• lower respiratory tract
• lower one's eyes
• lower one's voice
• lower respiratory
• lower fungus
• lower oneself
• lower the boom

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• lower case
• lower criticism
• lower class
• raise/lower the temperature
• lower respiratory tract
• lower one's eyes
• lower one's voice
• lower respiratory
• lower fungus
• lower oneself
• lower the boom

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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 

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 

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