: of, relating to, or being movie or video photography in which the action that has been photographed is made to appear to occur slower than it actually occurred
a slow-motion replay
also : slowly moving
a slow-motion dance

slow motion

2 of 2

noun

: slow-motion photography

Examples of slow-motion in a Sentence

Noun The scene was shot in slow motion. They showed the goal in slow motion.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
But the review should never have happened, because it was only recommended based on slow-motion replays. Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 The start of the second half was most notable for a slow-motion replay of a Canadian fan dropping her phone as the crowd did the wave in the opening minutes. Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 June 2026
Noun
In slow motion, the car approaches the moose at 43 miles per hour and makes contact. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 18 June 2026 And that obituary has been authored in slow motion by the declining birth rate of the last two decades. Tristan Bove, Fortune, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for slow-motion

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1915, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slow-motion was in 1915

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slow-motion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slow-motion. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

slow motion

noun
: action in a film or television picture apparently taking place more slowly than it actually occurred
slow-motion adjective
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