slack
1 (slăk)
[Middle English slak, from Old English slæc.]
adjective: slack·er, slack·est.
- Moving slowly; sluggish: a slack pace.
- Lacking in activity; not busy: a slack season for the travel business.
- Not tense or taut; loose: a slack rope; slack muscles. See synonyms at loose
- Lacking firmness; flaccid: a slack grip.
- Lacking in diligence or due care or concern; negligent: a slack worker. See synonyms at negligent
- Flowing or blowing with little speed: a slack current; slack winds.
- Linguistics Pronounced with the muscles of the tongue and jaw relatively relaxed; lax.
verb: slacked, slack·ing, slacks.
transitive verb
- To make slower or looser; slacken.
- To be careless or remiss in doing: slack one's duty.
- To slake (lime).
intransitive verb
- To be or become slack.
- To evade work; shirk.
noun
- A loose part, as of a rope or sail.
- A lack of tension; looseness.
- A period of little activity; a lull.
- A cessation of movement in a current of air or water.
- An area of still water.
- Unused capacity: still some slack in the economy.
- Casual trousers that are not part of a suit.
adverb
- In a slack manner: a banner hanging slack.
phrasal verbs
- slack off
- To decrease in activity or intensity.
idioms
- cut (someone) some slack
- Slang To make an allowance for (someone), as in allowing more time to finish something.
derivatives
- slacḱly
- adverb
- slacḱness
- noun
