English adjective: slack | |||
1. | slack not tense or taut | ||
Samples | The old man's skin hung loose and grey. Slack and wrinkled skin. Slack sails. A slack rope. | ||
Synonyms | loose | ||
Similar | lax | ||
Antonyms | tense | ||
2. | slack flowing with little speed as e.g. at the turning of the tide | ||
Samples | Slack water. | ||
Similar | standing | ||
Antonyms | running | ||
3. | slack lacking in rigor or strictness | ||
Samples | Such lax and slipshod ways are no longer acceptable. Lax in attending classes. Slack in maintaining discipline. | ||
Synonyms | lax | ||
Similar | negligent | ||
Antonyms | diligent | ||
English noun: slack | |||
1. | slack (substance) dust consisting of a mixture of small coal fragments and coal dust and dirt that sifts out when coal is passed over a sieve | ||
Broader (hypernym) | debris, detritus, dust, junk, rubble | ||
2. | slack (process) a noticeable deterioration in performance or quality | ||
Samples | The team went into a slump. A gradual slack in output. A drop-off in attendance. A falloff in quality. | ||
Synonyms | drop-off, falling off, falloff, slump | ||
Broader (hypernym) | declension, decline in quality, deterioration, worsening | ||
3. | slack (object) a stretch of water without current or movement | ||
Samples | Suddenly they were in a slack and the water was motionless. | ||
Synonyms | slack water | ||
Broader (hypernym) | stretch | ||
4. | slack (object) a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot | ||
Synonyms | mire, morass, quag, quagmire | ||
Broader (hypernym) | bog, peat bog | ||
5. | slack (attribute) the quality of being loose (not taut) | ||
Samples | He hadn't counted on the slackness of the rope. | ||
Synonyms | slackness | ||
Broader (hypernym) | looseness, play | ||
6. | slack (artifact) a cord or rope or cable that is hanging loosely | ||
Samples | He took up the slack. | ||
Broader (hypernym) | cord | ||
English verb: slack | |||
1. | slack (social) avoid responsibilities and work, be idle | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | fiddle, goldbrick, shirk, shrink from | ||
2. | slack (cognition) be inattentive to, or neglect | ||
Samples | He slacks his attention. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | neglect | ||
3. | slack (change) release tension on | ||
Samples | Slack the rope. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | loose, loosen | ||
4. | slack (change) make less active or fast | ||
Samples | He slackened his pace as he got tired. Don't relax your efforts now. | ||
Synonyms | relax, slack up, slacken | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | decrease, lessen, minify | ||
5. | slack (change) become slow or slower | ||
Samples | Production slowed. | ||
Synonyms | slacken, slow, slow down, slow up | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Somebody ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | weaken | ||
6. | slack (change) make less active or intense | ||
Synonyms | abate, slake | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | decrease, lessen, minify | ||
7. | slack (change) become less in amount or intensity | ||
Samples | The storm abated. The rain let up after a few hours. | ||
Synonyms | abate, die away, let up, slack off | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | decrease, diminish, fall, lessen | ||
8. | slack (change) cause to heat and crumble by treatment with water | ||
Samples | Slack lime. | ||
Synonyms | slake | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | hydrate | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | air-slake | ||