slowly

[ sloh-lee ]

adverb

1. in a slow manner; at a slow speed:

   Sauté the peppers slowly.

   I drove slowly back home.

Confusables Note

See slow.

Word History and Origins

Origin of slowly¹

First recorded in 1310–50; Middle English slawliche, slawly; slow ( def ), -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

So it’s great because now I have a wonderful group of artists who the world will slowly get to know.

From Los Angeles Times

They moved surprisingly slowly and deliberately, and the exercise got increasingly difficult.

From Los Angeles Times

Huntington's is a hereditary disorder that slowly damages the brain, affecting the ability to walk, talk, eat, drink, make decisions and live independently.

From BBC

He slowly walks up a flight of concrete steps to show the BBC where he was kept.

From BBC

From drones to AI, the Masters is slowly adjusting to the times.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• calmly
• casually
• deliberately
• gently
• gradually
• haltingly
• lazily
• nonchalantly

More About Slowly

What is a basic definition of slowly?

Slowly is used when something is happening in a slow manner or in a way that lacks speed or quickness.

Slowly is the adverb form of the word slow, which describes something as lacking speed. If you walk slowly, for example, you are not moving quickly. Things that happen slowly take much longer to occur than things that happen quickly.

• Real-life examples: Sloths, snails, and turtles move very slowly. For safety, it is a good idea to drive slowly past schools or construction sites. For most people, time moves slowly when they are bored, at school, or at work.
• Used in a sentence: She picked up the broken glass slowly and carefully.

Where does slowly come from?

The first records of slowly come from around 1310. It comes from the Middle English slawliche or slawly. It is an adverb formed from the word slow.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to slowly?

• slow (adjective)

What are some synonyms for slowly?

• lazily
• leisurely
• unhurried
• deliberately
• calmly

What are some words that share a root or word element with slowly?

• slow

What are some words that often get used in discussing slowly?

• quickly
• time
• speed
• movement
• care
• steadily

How is slowly used in real life?

Slowly is a common adverb that describes something as happening with low speed or at a slow pace.

Slowly digging myself out of credit card debt is a great feeling.

— Jake Marquis (@jakesonaplane) January 27, 2021

Just crushed an 8km run. Slowly working my way up to 8.00004km. Should achieve goal next year with proper training and diet.

— Matt Webb (@MattWebbMT) May 27, 2014

That said, we moved slowly and methodically to make sure we picked up every scrap of the unexploded ordnance. #MythBusters

— Adam Savage (@donttrythis) January 10, 2016

Try using slowly!

Is slowly used correctly in the following sentence?

I find math to be hard, so I learn it slowly.