Synonyms of slackening

slackening 1 of 2

adjective

as in softening

Related Words

• softening
• yielding
• slack
• impotent
• weak
• invertebrate
• pliant
• complaisant
• spineless
• pliable
• obliging

Dissimilar Words

• relentless
• unrelenting
• implacable
• grim
• unyielding
• dogged
• unflinching
• determined
• persistent
• unappeasable
• tenacious
• stubborn
• peevish
• perverse
• hard
• obdurate
• willful
• intractable
• persevering
• pertinacious
• mulish
• uncooperative
• hardheaded
• headstrong
• opinionated
• pigheaded
• self-willed

slackening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of slacken

1

as in loosening

to make less taut

you'll need to slacken the rope a bit to get it free of that post

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loosening
• slacking
• relaxing
• easing
• detaching
• undoing
• untying
• unfastening
• freeing
• unbinding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tightening
• stretching
• straining
• binding
• attaching
• tying
• tensing
• fastening
• tensioning
• restraining
• constraining

2

as in slowing

to cause to move or proceed at a less rapid pace

drivers need to slacken their speed as they approach the sharp curve

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slowing
• braking
• inhibiting
• retarding
• decelerating
• impeding
• hindering
• restraining
• stopping
• halting
• curbing
• obstructing
• hampering
• checking
• thwarting
• reining
• handicapping
• hobbling
• encumbering
• constraining
• holding back
• tying up
• arresting
• sabotaging
• setting back
• bottlenecking
• baffling
• frustrating
• holding up
• foiling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accelerating
• hurrying
• hastening
• rushing
• pushing
• urging
• speeding (up)
• driving
• quickening
• encouraging
• stirring
• stepping up
• propelling
• aiding
• advancing
• helping
• facilitating
• spurring
• furthering
• easing
• expediting
• goading
• forwarding
• dispatching

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of slackening

Verb

Still further downstream the channel broadens out, and the slackening current has deposited débris and deadheads galore. — Harry H. Edel, Outdoor Life, 19 Aug. 2026

Another factor was the slackening appeal of industrial companies, which had long absorbed the greatest number of young graduates. — Literary Hub, 15 May 2026

Hammers tapped slackening fibers and instead of the pleasant overtones of a major scale, a nauseating cacophony swelled from the instrument’s wooden belly. — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026

There was still a risk of more flash flooding and mudslides Friday despite slackening rain around Los Angeles, the National Weather Service warned. — Ty Oneil, Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025