Dictionary

slow down en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To decelerate.
   • Crossing stations on single lines are laid out so that one line has a straight run through, and is signalled in each direction, avoiding the need to slow down to take the turnout into the loop. 1954 August, J. B. Snell, “The New Zealand Government Railways—2”, in Railway Magazine, page 562:
   • Then came the war... and everything slowed down. 2021 October 6, Greg Morse, “A need for speed and the drive for 125”, in RAIL, number 941, page 48:
   • When the long, hot journey drew to its end and the train slowed down for the last time, there was a stir in Jessamy’s carriage. 1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 7:
   • When approaching a bend in the road, slow down, and speed up after leaving it.
2. (transitive) To reduce the velocity, speed, or tempo of something.
   • With a comfortable lead, the football team slowed down the tempo of the game.
   • A “moving platform” scheme[…]is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails.[…]This set-up solves several problems […]. Stopping high-speed trains wastes energy and time, so why not simply slow them down enough for a moving platform to pull alongside? 2013 June 1, “Ideas coming down the track”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 13 (Technology Quarterly):
   • The elimination of vacuum-braked wagons would be slowed down, and the Western Region's flirtation with diesel-hydraulic locomotives was questioned. 2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 52:
   • A "passenger/goods" cock is provided in each cab, by which, when placed in the "goods" position, the normal proportional brake application is slowed down. This is for use when hauling an unbraked or partially braked train, and prevents the unbraked stock from running into the locomotive or braked portion of the train with violence. 1958 September 14, “Swindon's First Main-Line Diesel Locomotive”, in Railway Magazine, page 603:
   • Oh, run away / You better not hesitate / Better hurry, don't wait now / Run away / Before you find it's too late / 'Cause you know how love slows you down 1977, Loleatta Holloway, “Runaway”, in Magic Journey:
3. (figuratively, intransitive, transitive) To become less intense, enthusiastic, etc., usually with a positive connotation, implying that one is stripped of exaggerated or unnecessary eagerness.
   • Whoa, slow down there, bucko. Everyone will get a chance. Be patient.

Forms

Antonyms

accelerate · speed up

Deriveds

slow-down · slowing-down time · slowdown

Hypernyms

decrease

Hyponyms

strike sail · unaccelerate

Relateds

immobilize · hinder · move slowly · stop

Synonyms

foreslow · decelerate · put the brakes on · retard · cumber · slowen · slow down · retard · slow · rein in · slow up

Translations (60)

es lentificarse ((''intransitive'') to decelerate) · la tardescō ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · ru замедля́ть ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · es ir/andar más despacio ((''intransitive'') to decelerate) · tl bumagal ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · bg забавям ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · km បង្អែរបង្អង់ ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · sv sakta ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · it rallentare ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · az yavaşıtmaq ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · es ralentizarse ((''intransitive'') to decelerate) · ka შენელება ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · fr décélérer ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · es ralentizar ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · be спаво́льніць ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · ro încetini ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · uk упові́льнювати ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · ru снижа́ть ско́рость ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · fr ralentir ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · pl zwolnić ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · pl spowolnić ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · ca alentir ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · hu lassít ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · ru заме́длить ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · cmn 放慢 ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · sh uspòriti ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · la retardo ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · hu lelassít ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · es reducir/aminorar/disminuir la velocidad/rapidez ((''intransitive'') to decelerate) · pt desacelerar ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · it decelerare ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · nl afremmen ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · cy slofi ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · pl spowalniać ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · be запаво́льваць ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · la tardō ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · es enlentecer ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · de verlangsamen ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · cmn 減速 /减速 ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · es enlentecerse ((''intransitive'') to decelerate) · ro decelera ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · cs zpomalit ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · io lentigar ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · mi whakapūhoi ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · uk спові́льнити ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · pl zwalniać ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · ca descelerar ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · es lentificar ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · cy arafu ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · sv bromsa ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · tr yavaşlamak ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · az yavaşlamaq ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · fi hidastaa ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · uk спові́льнювати ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · sh usporávati ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · el επιβραδύνω ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · ja 遅らせる ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · uk упові́льнити ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · ru сни́зить ско́рость ((''transitive'') to reduce speed) · io lenteskar ((''transitive'') to reduce speed)