slough

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈslü  ˈslau̇ 

 in the US (except in New England)  is usual for sense 1 with those to whom the sense is familiar ˈslü;

 British usually  for both senses ˈslau̇

1

a

: a place of deep mud or mire

b or less commonly slew or slue

ˈslü 

(1)

: swamp

(2)

: an inlet on a river

also : backwater

(3)

: a creek in a marsh or tide flat

2

: a state of moral degradation or spiritual dejection

sloughy

ˈslü-ē

ˈslau̇-ē 

adjective

slough

2 of 4

verb (1)

sloughed; sloughing; sloughs

transitive verb

: to engulf in a slough

intransitive verb

: to plod through or as if through mud : slog

slough

3 of 4

noun (2)

ˈsləf 

variants or less commonly sluff

1

: the cast-off skin of a snake

2

: a mass of dead tissue separating from an ulcer

3

: something that may be shed or cast off

slough

4 of 4

verb (2)

ˈsləf 

variants or less commonly sluff

sloughed also sluffed; sloughing also sluffing; sloughs also sluffs

intransitive verb

1

a

: to become shed or cast off

b

: to cast off one's skin

c

: to separate in the form of dead tissue from living tissue

2

: to crumble slowly and fall away

transitive verb

1

: to cast off

2

a

: to get rid of or discard as irksome, objectionable, or disadvantageous

—usually used with off

b

: to dispose of (a losing card in bridge) by discarding

Did you know?

There are two verbs spelled slough in English, as well as two nouns, and both sets have different pronunciations. The first noun, referring to a swamp or a discouraged state of mind, is pronounced to rhyme with either blue or cow. Its related verb, which can mean "to plod through mud," has the same pronunciation. The second noun, pronounced to rhyme with cuff, refers to the shed skin of a snake (as well as anything else that has been cast off). Its related verb describes the action of shedding or eliminating something, just like a snake sheds its skin. This slough comes from Middle English slughe and is related to slūch, a Middle High German word meaning "snakeskin."

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• marsh
• wetland

Verb (1)

• shuffle
• stumble
• stomp
• barge
• clump
• lump

Verb (2)

• shed
• slip

Choose the Right Synonym for slough

discard, cast, shed, slough, scrap, junk mean to get rid of.

discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit

finally sloughed off the depression

scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways

would junk our educational system

Examples of slough in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the land for miles around the lake is strewn with ponds, sloughs, and mudflats

Verb (1)

the unpleasant task of sloughing through the muck to retrieve the ball

Verb (2)

the snake is sloughing its old skin

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Both experts say that dry brushing, the physical exfoliant that sloughs away dead skin cells, can be beneficial to keeping strawberry legs at bay. —Audrey Noble, Vogue, 1 July 2025

Pure sugar crystals and AHAs sourced from plants work to slough off skin, while natural botanical oils soothe and hydrate. —Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

Noun

Book a kayak tour from Bayfield (or head out on your own) and float into dark coastal caves, among dots of forest, or even inland to the rivers and sloughs. —Jacqueline Kehoe, AFAR Media, 21 May 2025

Hauntingly beautiful ghost orchids cling to pond apple trees growing right out of cypress sloughs. —Elise Bennett, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English sloughe, slo, from Old English slōh; akin to Middle High German slouche ditch

Noun (2)

Middle English slughe; akin to Middle High German slūch snakeskin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Verb (1)

1846, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1720, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing slough

• slough of despond

Rhymes for slough

• buff
• cuff
• duff
• fluff
• gruff
• hough
• huff
• luff
• muff
• puff
• rough
• ruff

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Kids Definition

slough

1 of 3 noun

ˈslü 

ˈslau̇;

 in the U.S.  (except New England) ˈslü,

 is usual for sense 1;  ˈslau̇,

 is more frequent for sense 2 

1

also slew or slue

ˈslü

: a wet and marshy or muddy place (as a swamp or backwater)

2

: a discouraged, degraded, or hopeless state

slough

2 of 3 noun

ˈsləf

variants also sluff

1

: the cast-off skin of a snake

2

: a mass of dead tissue separating from living tissue

3

: something that may be shed or cast off

slough

3 of 3 verb

ˈsləf 

variants also sluff

1

a

: to cast off or become cast off

b

: to cast off one's skin

c

: to separate dead tissue from living tissue

d

: to get rid of or discard as bothersome, objectionable, or not to one's advantage

2

: to crumble slowly and fall away

Etymology

Noun

Old English slōh "swamp"

Noun

Middle English slughe "the cast-off skin of a snake"

Medical Definition

slough

1 of 2 noun

ˈsləf 

: dead tissue separating from living tissue

especially : a mass of dead tissue separating from an ulcer

slough

2 of 2 intransitive verb

: to separate in the form of dead tissue from living tissue

dermal sloughing

transitive verb

: to cast off

slough dead tissue

the uterine lining is sloughed

Geographical Definition

Slough

geographical name

ˈslau̇ 

town in Berkshire, southeast central England, west of London population 155,000