slack

¹

[ slak ]

adjective

1. not tight, taut, firm, or tense;

   a slack rope.

   Synonyms: relaxed

2. negligent; careless; remiss:

   slack proofreading.

   Synonyms: thoughtless, lazy, lax

3. slow, sluggish, or indolent:

   He is slack in answering letters.

   Synonyms: listless, tardy, dilatory

4. not active or busy; dull; not brisk:

   the slack season in an industry.

   Synonyms: quiet, idle

5. moving very slowly, as the tide, wind, or water.
6. Phonetics. weak; lax.
7. Nautical. easy ( def 15a ).

adverb

1. in a slack manner.

noun

1. a slack condition or part.
2. the part of a rope, sail, or the like, that hangs loose, without strain upon it.
3. a decrease in activity, as in business or work:

   a sudden slack in output.

   Synonyms: relaxation

4. a period of decreased activity.
5. Geography. a cessation in a strong flow, as of a current at its turn.
6. a depression between hills, in a hillside, or in the land surface.
7. Prosody. (in sprung rhythm) the unaccented syllable or syllables.
8. British Dialect. a morass; marshy ground; a hollow or dell with soft, wet ground at the bottom.

verb (used with object)

1. to be remiss in respect to (some matter, duty, right, etc.); leave undone; shirk:

   He slacked the most important part.

   Synonyms: neglect

2. to make or allow to become less active, vigorous, intense, etc.; relax (efforts, labor, speed, etc.); lessen; moderate (often followed by up ).

   Synonyms: slacken, reduce

3. to make loose, or less tense or taut, as a rope; loosen (often followed by off or out ).
4. to slake (lime).

verb (used without object)

1. to be remiss; shirk one's duty or part.

   Synonyms: malinger

2. to become less active, vigorous, rapid, etc. (often followed by up ):

   Business is slacking up.

3. to become less tense or taut, as a rope; to ease off.
4. to become slaked, as lime.

slack

²

[ slak ]

noun

1. the fine screenings of coal.

slack

¹

/ slæk /

adjective

1. not tight, tense, or taut
2. negligent or careless
3. (esp of water, etc) moving slowly
4. (of trade, etc) not busy
5. phonetics another term for lax

adverb

1. in a slack manner

noun

1. a part of a rope, etc, that is slack

   take in the slack

2. a period of decreased activity
3. 1. a patch of water without current
   2. a slackening of a current
4. prosody (in sprung rhythm) the unstressed syllable or syllables

verb

1. to neglect (one's duty, etc)
2. often foll by off to loosen; to make slack
3. chem a less common word for slake

slack

²

/ slæk /

noun

1. small pieces of coal with a high ash content

Derived Forms

• ˈslackness, noun
• ˈslackly, adverb

Other Words From

• slacking·ly adverb
• slackly adverb
• slackness noun
• un·slacked adjective
• un·slacking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of slack¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English adjective slak(e), slakke, Old English slæc, sleac; cognate with Old Norse slakr, Old High German slach, Latin laxus lax

Origin of slack²

First recorded in 1200–50; of uncertain origin; compare Middle English sleck “mud, slush, stony soil,” Flemish slecke, Middle Dutch slacke, slecke, Dutch slak, Low German slak(ke), German Schlacke “dross (of metal)”

Word History and Origins

Origin of slack¹

Old English slæc, sleac; related to Old High German slah, Old Norse slākr bad, Latin laxus lax

Origin of slack²

C15: probably from Middle Low German slecke; related to Dutch slak, German Schlacke dross

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. take up the slack,
   1. to pull in or make taut a loose section of a rope, line, wire, etc.:

      Take up the slack before releasing the kite.

   2. 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

“Where Eve once seemed wild and inspired to Joan,” writes Anolik, “she now seemed slack and slothful. Where Joan once seemed meticulous and masterly to Eve, she now seemed dogged and doctrinaire.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mack was limited to just a handful of snaps because of a groin injury, but his teammates picked up the pass-rushing slack with seven sacks.

From Los Angeles Times

And Europe will struggle to take up the slack.

From BBC

“He’s not too bad. He said it had been a few years since he played, so you’ve got to cut him some slack.”

From BBC

He looked to be in his early fifties, in baggy clothes and loosely laced sneakers, eyes squeezed mostly closed, expression slack.

From Salon

Related Words

• lackadaisical
• lax
• lethargic
• permissive
• sluggish
• stagnant