Advertisement
Advertisement
slack
1[ slak ]
adjective
- not tight, taut, firm, or tense;
a slack rope.
Synonyms:
slack proofreading.
Synonyms: , ,
- slow, sluggish, or indolent:
He is slack in answering letters.
Synonyms: , ,
- not active or busy; dull; not brisk:
the slack season in an industry.
Synonyms: ,
- moving very slowly, as the tide, wind, or water.
- Phonetics. weak; lax.
- Nautical. easy ( def 15a ).
adverb
- in a slack manner.
noun
- a slack condition or part.
- the part of a rope, sail, or the like, that hangs loose, without strain upon it.
- a decrease in activity, as in business or work:
a sudden slack in output.
Synonyms:
- a period of decreased activity.
- Geography. a cessation in a strong flow, as of a current at its turn.
- a depression between hills, in a hillside, or in the land surface.
- Prosody. (in sprung rhythm) the unaccented syllable or syllables.
- British Dialect. a morass; marshy ground; a hollow or dell with soft, wet ground at the bottom.
verb (used with object)
- to be remiss in respect to (some matter, duty, right, etc.); leave undone; shirk:
He slacked the most important part.
Synonyms:
Synonyms: ,
- to make loose, or less tense or taut, as a rope; loosen (often followed by off or out ).
- to slake (lime).
verb (used without object)
- to be remiss; shirk one's duty or part.
Synonyms:
- to become less active, vigorous, rapid, etc. (often followed by up ):
Business is slacking up.
- to become less tense or taut, as a rope; to ease off.
- to become slaked, as lime.
slack
2[ slak ]
noun
- the fine screenings of coal.
slack
1/ æ /
adjective
- not tight, tense, or taut
- negligent or careless
- (esp of water, etc) moving slowly
- (of trade, etc) not busy
- phonetics another term for lax
adverb
- in a slack manner
noun
- a part of a rope, etc, that is slack
take in the slack
- a period of decreased activity
- a patch of water without current
- a slackening of a current
- prosody (in sprung rhythm) the unstressed syllable or syllables
verb
- to neglect (one's duty, etc)
- often foll by off to loosen; to make slack
- chem a less common word for slake
slack
2/ æ /
noun
- small pieces of coal with a high ash content
Derived Forms
- ˈԱ, noun
- ˈ, adverb
Other 51Թ Forms
- iԲ· adverb
- l adverb
- n noun
- ܲ· adjective
- ܲ·iԲ adjective
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of slack1
Origin of slack2
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of slack1
Origin of slack2
Idioms and Phrases
- take up the slack,
- to pull in or make taut a loose section of a rope, line, wire, etc.:
Take up the slack before releasing the kite.
- to provide or compensate for something that is missing or incomplete:
New sources of oil will take up the slack resulting from the embargo.
Example Sentences
"We are dangerously low in numbers and it is unfair to expect our present officer cadre to continue to pick up the slack indefinitely," Mr Kelly said.
Why on earth should the US pick up the slack, asks the Trump administration.
Christie's slack pass to give the ball away and then the flat-footed defending that allowed Tzolis to run on to Konstantelias' deft reverse pass.
There is nothing superior about this Welsh team in the pack or behind the pack and that's why Townsend won't be cut any slack if Scotland don't win.
Dressed in a crisp, dark monochrome coat and slacks, Gaines makes his way to a small office in the back of the gallery and takes a seat next to me.
Advertisement
Related 51Թs
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse