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: Usage Guide 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

When investors become less sure that the economy and prices will continue to rise, yields on longer term bonds rise slowly, or even fall. — Matt Phillips, The Seattle Times, "Stocks slide as bond market sounds a recession warning," 4 Dec. 2018 Start slowly, and gradually work your way up to longer sweat sessions and heavier weights. — Haley Shapley, SELF, "How to Hike a 14,000-Foot Mountain With No Prior Experience," 17 Nov. 2018 The couture houses in post-war France were slowly but surely getting back on their feet, and Galanos found a home at the atelier of Robert Piguet. — David Nash, Town & Country, "James Galanos and the Integrity of 20th Century Fashion," 6 Nov. 2018 In this fantastic reality, everything is slowly but continuously distorting itself. — Devin Powell, Discover Magazine, "Shape Shifters," 28 Sep. 2018 The university was later cited by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protecting for moving slowly on cleanup and remediation. — Kathleen Megan, courant.com, "UConn Trustees Approve Sale Of West Hartford Campus to Financial Tech Company," 6 July 2018 The decline came on fast, even as Como moved more and more slowly. — Steven Winn, SFChronicle.com, "A loving family remembers the zeitgeist of Como the dog," 2 July 2018 The forklift issues its warning and moves slowly in reverse. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: Austin hopes a new ballfield can help in its battle with opioids and HIV," 21 June 2018 Pause for a moment at the end of the movement, and then slowly roll the wheel back in, stopping about halfway. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "Why the Ab Wheel Is Such a Challenging and Effective Workout Tool," 6 Dec. 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.