slowly

adverb

slow·ly | \ˈslō-lē

\

Definition of slowly

: in a slow manner : not quickly, fast, early, rashly, or readily

Synonyms & Antonyms Slow vs. Slowly Example Sentences Learn More about slowly

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Slow vs. Slowly: Usage Guide

Some commentators claim that careful writers avoid the adverb slow, in spite of the fact that it has had over four centuries of usage. have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower — William Shakespeare In actual practice, slow and slowly are not used in quite the same way. Slow is almost always used with verbs that denote movement or action, and it regularly follows the verb it modifies. beans … are best cooked long and slow — Louise Prothro Slowly is used before the verb a sense of outrage, which slowly changed to shame — Paul Horgan and with participial adjectives. a slowly dawning awareness … of the problem — Amer. Labor Slowly is used after verbs where slow might also be used burn slow or slowly and after verbs where slow would be unidiomatic. the leadership turned slowly toward bombing as a means of striking back — David Halberstam

Examples of slowly in a Sentence

Things are slowly getting better. walked slowly toward the ringing phone

Recent Examples on the Web

Even now that 40-shade foundation ranges are slowly-but-surely started to become an industry norm, many people are still stuck mixing multiple hues to find the perfect match. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "NYX Launches New Full-Coverage Matte Foundation in 45 Shades," 12 July 2018 Self-driving cars are slowly making their way onto American streets, but regulations governing their use are still being established. — Sarah Cahlan /, NBC News, "This self-driving car could deliver groceries to your doorstep," 11 July 2018 General manager Joe Dumars had slowly built a talented core around Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince. — Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press, "NBA superteams haven't won all the championships: 5 surprise winners," 9 July 2018 After spending weeks in critical condition, the Skripals slowly got better and were released from the hospital and taken to an undisclosed location for their protection. — Matt Dunham And Gregory Katz, chicagotribune.com, "2nd nerve agent poisoning likely not deliberate, British police say," 5 July 2018 The clerks frustration grew but Zach slowly but surely got better with each bag. — Charles Curtis, For The Win, "Josh McCown shares the most heartwarming Father's Day story," 18 June 2018 The company's contactless payment system has been slowly making its way onto its smartwatches since it was introduced last year. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Garmin brings music, NFC payments, onboard mapping to Fenix 5 Plus watches," 18 June 2018 The Bears took it slowly this spring with Robinson, and his will be one of the most intriguing stories of camp. — Colleen Kane, chicagotribune.com, "Can an upgraded Bears receiving corps give the offense new life?," 12 July 2018 Most of the big restaurant chains are taking it slowly. — NBC News, "Customer satisfaction with restaurants is up. Thank the robots.," 10 July 2018

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

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Learn More about slowly

Dictionary Entries near slowly

slowly but surely

Phrases Related to slowly

slowly but surely

Statistics for slowly

Last Updated

16 Oct 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for slowly

The first known use of slowly was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for slowly

slowly

adverb

English Language Learners Definition of slowly

: in a slow way or at a low speed

See the full definition for slowly in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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