slack

1 of 5

adjective

1
: not using due diligence, care, or dispatch : negligent
2
a
: characterized by slowness, sluggishness, or lack of energy
a slack pace
b
: moderate in some quality
especially : moderately warm
a slack oven
c
: blowing or flowing at low speed
the tide was slack
3
a
: not tight or taut
a slack rope
b
: lacking in usual or normal firmness and steadiness : weak
slack muscles
slack supervision
4
: wanting in activity : dull
a slack market
5
: lacking in completeness, finish, or perfection
a very slack piece of work
slackly adverb
slackness noun

slack

2 of 5

verb

slacked; slacking; slacks

intransitive verb

1
: to be or become slack
2
: to shirk or evade work or duty

transitive verb

1
a
: to be slack or negligent in performing or doing
2
: to release tension on : loosen
3
a
: to cause to abate

slack

3 of 5

noun (1)

1
: cessation in movement or flow
2
: a part of something that hangs loose without strain
take up the slack of a rope
3
: trousers especially for casual wear
usually used in plural
4
: a dull season or period
5
a
: a part that is available but not used
some slack in the budget
b
: a portion (as of labor or resources) that is required but lacking
hired a temp to take up the slack
6
: additional leeway or relief from pressure
usually used with cut
refused to cut me some slack on the schedule

slack

4 of 5

noun (2)

dialectal, England
: a pass between hills

slack

5 of 5

noun (3)

: the finest screenings of coal produced at a mine unusable as fuel unless cleaned
Choose the Right Synonym for slack

negligent, neglectful, lax, slack, remiss mean culpably careless or indicative of such carelessness.

negligent implies inattention to one's duty or business.

negligent about writing a note of thanks

neglectful adds a more disapproving implication of laziness or deliberate inattention.

a society callously neglectful of the poor

lax implies a blameworthy lack of strictness, severity, or precision.

a reporter lax about accurate quotation

slack implies want of due or necessary diligence or care.

slack workmanship

remiss implies blameworthy carelessness shown in slackness, forgetfulness, or neglect.

had been remiss in their familial duties

Examples of slack in a Sentence

Adjective His broken arm hung slack at his side. The rope suddenly went slack. He accused the government of slack supervision of nuclear technology. Verb They need to stop slacking and get down to work. the skipper ordered the crew to slack off the sheets on the mainsail Noun (1) our boss doesn't cut us any slack when it comes to being back from lunch on time take up the slack of a rope she prefers wearing slacks instead of a dress
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
But, as our offices become more mobile, and our tether to a single home base becomes increasingly slack, these rules have changed. Zachary Weiss, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2024 Levi's Wedgie Straight Jeans, $31 with Prime Aside from a cropped length, which these still have, a straight-leg fit displays your curves in a more slack way. Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024
Verb
James Harden picked up the scoring slack with 24 points. Zach Harper, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024 Beyond the kiss heard ‘round the boat, the same crew issues — Emma slacking, Cloyce not stepping up, and the stews’ attitudes — continue to simmer. Emma Soren, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
Dončić and teammate Kyrie Irving combined for 54 points in that matchup, and the latter should be comfortable picking up the slack Sunday. James Jackson, The Athletic, 22 Nov. 2024 Practical actions that employers can take to reduce work loneliness include measuring loneliness, designing slack in workflows, creating a culture of connection, and building social activities into the rhythm of work. Constance Noonan Hadley sarah L. Wright, Harvard Business Review, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for slack 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English slak, slakke, going back to Old English slæc, sleac, going back to Germanic *slaka- (whence also Old Saxon slak "limp," Middle Dutch slac "loose, slack, slow," Old High German slah, Old Icelandic slakr "not tight"), o-grade of an Indo-European base *sleǵ- (or *sleh2ǵ-) seen also in Middle Irish lac "weak, feeble," Irish lag (< *slh2g-ko-?), Latin laxus "loosely packed, not drawn tight, relaxed" (< sl̥ǵ-so-), languere "to be enfeebled (of a person or body part)" (< *sl-n-ǵ-u̯-), Greek lagarós "loose-limbed, flexible" (< *sl̥g-ro-)

Note: Compare languish, lax entry 1, algolagnia.

Verb

derivative of slack entry 1

Noun (1)

derivative of slack entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English slak, from Old Norse slakki

Noun (3)

earlier sleck, probably from Middle Dutch slacke, slecke slag

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1729, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slack was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near slack

Cite this Entry

“Slack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slack. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

slack

1 of 3 adjective
1
2
: not energetic
a slack pace
3
a
: not tight : not tense or taut
a slack rope
b
: lacking in firmness : weak, soft
slack control
4
: not busy
a slack season
slackly adverb
slackness noun

slack

2 of 3 verb
1
a
: to be or become slack or careless in performing or doing
b
: lessen
the wind slacked off
2
: to avoid work or duty
3
4
a
: to cause to lessen

slack

3 of 3 noun
1
: a stopping of movement or flow
2
: a part of something that hangs loose without strain
take up the slack of a rope
3
plural : trousers especially for casual wear
4
: a dull season or period : lull
5
: additional tolerance or relief from pressure
cut me some slack

More from Merriam-Webster on slack

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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