snail's pace

noun

1. an extremely slow rate:

   The work progresses at a snail's pace.

snail's pace

noun

1. a very slow or sluggish speed or rate

Word History and Origins

Origin of snail's pace¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Idioms and Phrases

A very slow pace, as in They're making progress with testing the new vaccine, but at a snail's pace . [c. 1400]

Example Sentences

Disaster was averted thanks to a defense that stiffened and an offense that started moving the ball at something beyond a snail’s pace.

From Los Angeles Times

The railway line, China’s flagship infrastructure project in the region, has been snarled by regulatory and other issues and progressed at a snail’s pace during five years of work.

From New York Times

Five days after beating Arizona on its home court, USC was outplaying the Wildcats again with sticky defense and a snail’s pace that favored the Trojans.

From Los Angeles Times

That means the economy is not in a technical recession, though it’s expanding at a snail’s pace.

From Seattle Times

"That's why it's so frustrating that efforts to tackle sexism in the city are moving at a snail's pace," she added.

From BBC