as in thickness
the quality or state of lacking intelligence or quickness of mind
her natural shyness was sometimes mistaken for slowness by people who did not know her well
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Recent Examples of slowness
Julia's confession Fed up with local law enforcement's slowness and unresponsiveness, Christine and Katas eventually get FBI agent Dawn Martin on the case.
—
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
By the time symptoms first appear, the majority of these cells are lost forever, meaning the disease can progress for years before any of the telltale physical symptoms emerge—tremors, stiffness and slowness of movement, among others.
—Todd Weissman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
The slowness of the day, the blue sky rising tall above the house—a house Daithí has built for her and their two girls—Eloise, their baby, will sleep here, in the shade, windows open to the sea air.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Learning to sit with that uncertainty – to tolerate the slowness and mess of thinking things through rather than reaching for the frictionless answer – is where discernment begins.
—Kristi Girdharry, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
That slowness also applies to the mail itself.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
But the composer Huang Ruo knows that this slowness can also offer opportunity for pause, reflection, and escape.
—Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
The slowness is part of its appeal.
—Kallie Plagge, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2026
After all, the best homes are born out of slowness rather than speed.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 9 Jan. 2026
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
By the time symptoms first appear, the majority of these cells are lost forever, meaning the disease can progress for years before any of the telltale physical symptoms emerge—tremors, stiffness and slowness of movement, among others.
—Todd Weissman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
The slowness of the day, the blue sky rising tall above the house—a house Daithí has built for her and their two girls—Eloise, their baby, will sleep here, in the shade, windows open to the sea air.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
Learning to sit with that uncertainty – to tolerate the slowness and mess of thinking things through rather than reaching for the frictionless answer – is where discernment begins.
—Kristi Girdharry, The Conversation, 16 Mar. 2026
That slowness also applies to the mail itself.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
But the composer Huang Ruo knows that this slowness can also offer opportunity for pause, reflection, and escape.
—Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
The slowness is part of its appeal.
—Kallie Plagge, The Verge, 19 Jan. 2026
After all, the best homes are born out of slowness rather than speed.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slowness
Noun
-
The exact timing depends on the shape, thickness, and whether the pasta contains a filling.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Don’t be afraid to hang an oversized mirror above the sink—just make sure to consider the thickness of the frame, so as to not take up unnecessary visual weight.—
Fiona Bornhöft,
Architectural Digest,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, arrowroot extract adds volume, aloe vera extract adds a bit of shine (to prevent chalkiness and dullness), and celery root extract soothes the scalp.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Their bestselling Regenerating Cleanser gently polishes away impurities and dullness to reveal a healthy-looking, radiant glow, clinically proven to make skin look brighter, smoother, more hydrated and pores look smaller.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike its sibling concepts of dumbness and idiocy, stupidity isn’t really a personality trait.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Compare that to punk rock, which used dumbness as a tactic.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
If not for the stupidity of Joe Biden and the Democrats, ICE would have an easier job.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Smart, skilled, hardworking people gracefully put up with all manner of tragedy, stupidity, and institutional rot.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Kering also aims to refurbish or relocate two-thirds of its Gucci store network, reduce selling space by 20% and outlets by a third to achieve a doubling of its sales density by 2030.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Saul Leiken, the company’s director of product line, told me there is some cross-pollination—for example, the bike’s battery uses the same cells as a Rivian’s, just at a lower density.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Understand how rye works in baking Though dark, dense rye bread is delicious, rye flour does not inherently create denseness in other baked goods.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Bieber hit the hard reset on Coachella maximalism The entire performance dealt in assured simplicity from the 32-year-old.—
Reanna Cruz,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
In reimagining the 1950s-style entry, Misso opted for simplicity, ditching traditional trim around the white oak door in favor of a brick surround painted Benjamin Moore’s White Dove.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s the White House and its malicious megaphone of mindlessness; the generative AI advocates and their pushy, pathetic ploys; the Major League Baseball owners and their dedication to self-destruction.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The show’s real villain is mindlessness, in other words.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slowness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slowness. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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