slowly

adverb

slow·​ly ˈslō-lē 

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

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

Synonyms

• cautiously
• slow
• sluggishly
• carefully

Examples of slowly in a Sentence

Things are slowly getting better.

walked slowly toward the ringing phone

Recent Examples on the Web

Only after my release in 2010 did the full topology of the invisible city begin to reveal itself to me—slowly, then all at once. —Kian Tajbakhsh, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025

And while small waves can move as slowly as 5 miles per hour, tsunamis in the middle of the Pacific Ocean reach speeds of 600 miles per hour. —Skylar Knight, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025

The case moved slowly, and in the first ruling, a U.S. District Court judge ruled against Scott. —Madelyn Harrington, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025

Wear closed-toe footwear and long pants, and pour the boiling water gently and slowly. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing slowly

• slowly but surely

Rhymes for slowly

• coaly
• coli
• foley
• folie
• goalie
• holy
• lowly
• moly
• tolly
• wholly
• acholi
• emboli