: in a slow manner : not quickly, fast, early, rashly, or readily
Slow vs. Slowly: Usage Guide
Some commentators claim that careful writers avoid the adverb slow, in spite of the fact that it has had over four centuries of usage.
have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower
—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
In actual practice, slow and slowly are not used in quite the same way. Slow is almost always used with verbs that denote movement or action, and it regularly follows the verb it modifies.
beans … are best cooked long and slow
—Louise Prothro
Louise Prothro
Slowly is used before the verb
a sense of outrage, which slowly changed to shame
—Paul Horgan
Paul Horgan
and with participial adjectives.
a slowly dawning awareness … of the problem
—Amer. Labor
Amer. Labor
Slowly is used after verbs where slow might also be used
burn slow or slowly
and after verbs where slow would be unidiomatic.
the leadership turned slowly toward bombing as a means of striking back
—David Halberstam
David Halberstam
Examples of slowly in a Sentence
Things are slowly getting better.
walked slowly toward the ringing phone
Recent Examples on the Web
But in the absence of Betts and Bogaerts, he was forced into the role and slowly took on more of its responsibilities.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Pucks and bodies moved a step more slowly, passes no longer made with bacon crispness.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 June 2025
About two hours into the Kansas City rally, protesters marched down several blocks in the Country Club Plaza, flying upside-down American flags as cars drove slowly behind them.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 June 2025
The key is to think of solutions while moving forward slowly, carefully and strategically rather than giving in to disappointment, loss or self-deception.
—Kyle Thomas, People.com, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for slowly
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Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Pucks and bodies moved a step more slowly, passes no longer made with bacon crispness.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 June 2025
About two hours into the Kansas City rally, protesters marched down several blocks in the Country Club Plaza, flying upside-down American flags as cars drove slowly behind them.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 June 2025
The key is to think of solutions while moving forward slowly, carefully and strategically rather than giving in to disappointment, loss or self-deception.
—Kyle Thomas, People.com, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for slowly
Cite this Entry
“Slowly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slowly. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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