slacking 1 of 2

noun

as in loafing

Related Words

Relevance

slacking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of slack
as in loosening
to make less taut the skipper ordered the crew to slack off the sheets on the mainsail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of slacking
Verb
It gets filed alongside carelessness, disorganization and not really trying, and the people who display it often apologize for it as though they’d been caught slacking. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 But your employee isn’t slacking, Kagan said. — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 14 June 2026 Redneck points out that it's heightened the XL's front wall by 11 inches (28 cm) as compared to older Freedom models, slacking up the angle of the roof to adjust for it. — New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026 Not that the segment was slacking—far from it. — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 14 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slacking
  1. loafing
  2. loosening
  3. lounging
  4. slackening
  5. idling
  6. legal holiday
  7. rest
Noun
  • The researchers concluded that at least one of the keys to preventing social loafing is restoring individual responsibility within a group.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of loafing
Verb
  • Elsewhere on the ballot, Miami-Dade voters rejected a referendum loosening restrictions on advertising in county parks.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Without his wife by his side, George, so confident in his business dealings and so adept at outmaneuvering the old-money elites whose hold on American enterprise is loosening, is unmoored.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of loosening
Noun
  • Of course, all that lounging can leave behind fur, dirt, drool, and lingering odors.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Aside from the Nordic saunas and pools, there are dedicated rooms for silent lounging and treatment rooms using all-natural products.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of lounging
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, Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Definition of slackening
Noun
  • There is no penalty associated with unattended idling in state statute, however, individual municipalities have ordinances in place with fines for the action.
    — Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 18 Nov. 2025
Definition of idling
Noun
  • In 1894, President Cleveland signed a congressional act establishing the first Monday of September as a legal holiday, which has become known for promotional sales as well as a day off for many.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Then-President Grover Cleveland signed the act making Labor Day an official federal legal holiday on June 28, 1894.
    — Jennie Key, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of legal holiday
Noun
  • At the Pearlstone center in Reisterstown, Maryland, the farmers replaced their usual rows of vegetables with cover crops that would enrich the soil during its year of rest.
    — Adrienne Krone, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Milder cases require intake of fluids with bicarbonate, getting out of extreme heat, and rest, according to the CDC.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of rest

Browse Nearby Words

slackers
slacking
slacking (off)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slacking. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All