SLOW1 moving slowly or doing something slowly2 happening or changing slowly3 to do something slowly4 to move more slowly or do something more slowly5 to move more slowly than the other people6 to move slowly towards or away from something or someoneRELATED WORDSoppositeFASTlasting or taking a long time 持续很长时间或需要很长时间LONG1 moving slowly or doing something slowly 慢慢地移动或慢慢地做某事slow /sləʊ/ [adjective]not moving quickly or not doing something quickly 慢的，缓慢的 The train was slow, noisy, and uncomfortable. 火车开得很慢，又吵又不舒服。 I was always one of the slowest runners in my class. 我总是班上跑得最慢的人之一。 My computer's really slow compared to the ones at school. 我的电脑和学校里的电脑相比实在是很慢。slow to do something Farmers in the region have been slow to adopt modern agricultural methods. 这个地区的农民在采用现代农耕方法方面步伐很慢。slow in doing something The CIA has been slow in turning over the documents that Congress requested. 美国中央情报局迟迟没有交上国会所要求的文件。slowly /ˈsləʊli/ [adverb] He got up slowly out of his chair and came towards me. 他慢慢地从椅子上站起，向我走来。 Can you speak more slowly? I can't understand what you're saying. 你说得慢一点好吗？我听不懂你在说什么。 Large white clouds drifted slowly across the deep blue sky. 大朵大朵的白云在蔚蓝色的天空中悠悠飘过。 Lynne slowly began to realize the job wasn't as easy as it seemed. 琳恩慢慢地意识到，那工作看似简单，其实不然。slow-moving /ˌsləʊ ˈmuːvɪŋ◂/ [adjective usually before noun]moving slowly, especially because of being prevented from moving faster 流动缓慢的，慢慢移动的〔尤因为有阻碍〕 In the evenings the roads out of town are clogged with slow-moving traffic. 到了晚上，镇外的公路上就堵满了缓缓行驶的车辆。 Lubbers are slow-moving flightless insects native to the southeastern U.S. 笨蝗是行动缓慢、不能飞行的昆虫，产于美国东南部。 The canal's water was muddy and slow-moving. 这条运河的水浑浊不清，水流缓慢。leisurely /ˈleʒəʳliǁˈliː-/ [adjective usually before noun]moving or doing something slowly, especially because you are enjoying what you are doing and do not have to hurry 慢悠悠的，悠闲的 Sunday mornings she gets up late and then has a leisurely breakfast with her family. 星期天早上她起得很晚，然后悠闲地和家人一起用早餐。 We spent a leisurely afternoon talking about old times. 我们度过了一个悠闲的下午，聊起了过去的时光。at a leisurely pace The two set off walking down the beach at a leisurely pace. 那两人步履悠闲地出发到海滩散步。in slow-motion /ɪn ˌsləʊ ˈməʊʃən/ [adverb]showing images or movement at a slower speed than is normal - use this especially about pictures in a film 慢动作地〔尤指电影镜头〕 The car crash seemed to take place in slow-motion. 撞车的那一瞬间好像一个慢镜头。 The documentary showed the hawk's dive in slow-motion. 纪录片中用慢镜头表现了鹰的俯冲。 Fans who taped the show can replay it in slow-motion to read the messages that whizzed by on screen. 把这个节目录下来的忠实观众可以用慢动作重放，以解读在屏幕上一闪而过的信息。at low speed /ət ˌləʊ ˈspiːd/ [adverb]if a vehicle travelsat low speed, it moves more slowly than it usually does 〔车辆〕低速地，慢速地 You'll save money on petrol if you drive your car at low speed. 汽车低速行驶可以节省油费。 The car came towards them at low speed, and then someone leaned out the back window and started shooting. 汽车慢慢朝他们驶来，然后有人从后窗探出身子开始射击。low-speed /ˈləʊ spiːd/ [adjective only before noun] Low-speed crashes can still prove deadly, especially to children. 低速行驶中发生的车祸证明是仍可致命的，尤其是对于儿童来说。at a snail's pace /ət ə ˈsneɪlz peɪs/ [adverb]moving or doing something extremely slowly, especially when this is annoying 以蜗牛的速度，慢吞吞地〔尤指令人烦厌的〕 Traffic was moving at a snail's pace. 车流缓慢，犹如蜗牛爬行。 The development project seems to be moving at a snail's pace. 这个开发项目像是蜗行牛步，进展缓慢。sluggish /ˈslʌgɪʃ/ [adjective]moving more slowly than usual, especially because of a loss of power or energy 行动缓慢的，慢吞吞的〔尤因失去力量或能量〕 The car felt sluggish as we drove up the hill. 我们上山的时候，汽车开得慢慢吞吞的。 The children were tired and sluggish and didn't seem interested in any of the games. 孩子们疲惫乏力，对这些游戏似乎都毫无兴趣。sluggishly [adverb] ‘I should probably go,’ Mike said, rising sluggishly from the sofa. “也许我该走了。”迈克说着，有气无力地从沙发上爬起来。slowcoachBritish/slowpokeAmerican /ˈsləʊkəʊtʃ, ˈsləʊpəʊk/ [countable noun]spokensomeone who does something too slowly, works too slowly, walks too slowly, etc 【口】行动缓慢的人，慢性子 Come on, slowcoach! If you don't hurry up, we'll be late. 快点，磨蹭鬼！你如果还不赶快，我们就要迟到了。 I hate getting stuck behind these slowpokes on the highway. 我讨厌在公路上塞在这些慢吞吞的家伙后面。2 happening or changing slowly 慢慢地发生或改变的slow /sləʊ/ [adjective] She's making a slow recovery after her illness. 她患病后，正在慢慢康复。 Rebuilding the country's economy is likely to be a long, slow process. 重建这个国家的经济可能是一个漫长而缓慢的过程。 For the first few months that I was taking lessons, my progress was extremely slow. 我上课的头几个月里进步极慢。slowly /ˈsləʊli/ [adverb] The situation is slowly improving. 形势在慢慢好转。 Slowly prices began to fall. 物价慢慢地开始下降了。 Their relationship has developed slowly, but they now consider each other close friends. 他们的关系发展得很慢，但是现在都当对方是密友了。gradually /ˈgrædʒuəli/ [adverb]slowly over a period of time 逐渐地，渐渐地 The climate is gradually becoming drier and warmer. 气候逐渐变得干燥暖和了。 As the weeks passed, I gradually accepted the idea of him leaving. 几个星期过去，我逐渐接受了他离去的事实。 Most patients gradually develop a resistance to the drug. 大多数病人慢慢地对这种药产生抗药性。gradual /ˈgrædʒuəl/ [adjective]happening, developing, or changing slowly over a long period of time 逐渐的，渐渐的 I had noticed a gradual improvement in her written work. 我注意到她的书面作业逐渐有了进步。 The chart showed a gradual rise in his temperature over the previous eight hours. 图表显示在过去八小时里他的体温在逐渐上升。 Because the cell destruction is gradual, a victim's pancreas can function normally for years. 因为细胞破坏是渐进的，所以患者的胰腺可以维持正常的生理机能长达数年。little by little/bit by bit /ˌlɪtl baɪ ˈlɪtl, ˌbɪt baɪ ˈbɪt/ [adverb]happening or done slowly in a series of small amounts or stages - use this especially about something that is gradually improving 逐渐地，一点一点地〔尤指慢慢在好转〕 Little by little, Greg's health improved. 渐渐地，格雷格的身体好起来了。 Bit by bit, the dogs got used to their new surroundings. 渐渐地，狗儿适应了它们的新环境。 Then add the olive oil, little by little, beating continuously until the sauce thickens. 然后加入橄榄油，一点一点地加，不停地搅打，直至酱汁变稠厚起来。slowly but surely /ˌsləʊli bət ˈʃʊəʳli/ [adverb]if something, especially an improvement in something, happensslowly but surely, it happens slowly and steadily until it is completed 〔尤某事物的改进〕缓慢但确实地，缓慢而平稳地 Slowly but surely, the company is becoming successful again. 公司在缓慢而平稳地再次获得成功。 She's getting better, slowly but surely. 她的身体在好转，很慢，但是很稳定。by degrees /baɪ dɪˈgriːz/ [adverb]happening, developing, or changing very slowly, through a series of small changes that may be difficult to notice 逐渐地，渐次地 By degrees, little children grow less dependent on their parents. 渐渐地，小孩子就不怎么依赖父母了。 The storm intensified by degrees until the rain was pouring down. 暴风雨逐渐增强，最后大雨倾盆而下。3 to do something slowly 慢慢地做某事take your time /ˌteɪk jɔːʳ ˈtaɪm/ [verb phrase]to do something slowly because you do not want to hurry, for example when you are making a decision or doing a difficult piece of work 不着急，从容不迫 Just take your time. You don't have to decide immediately. 慢慢来吧，你不需要立即作出决定。take your time over/about Not wanting to seem too eager, Susan took her time about replying to the invitation. 苏珊不想显得太急切，于是慢慢才回复请柬。take your time doing something Alice took her time telling the story, making sure to include every detail. 艾丽丝从容不迫地讲着故事，她想把每一个细节都讲出来。be in no hurry /biː ɪn ˌnəʊ ˈhʌriǁ-ˈhɜːri/ [verb phrase]use this when someone is happy to do something slowly, usually because they are enjoying what they are doing and want to continue doing it 不着急〔通常因为喜欢所做的事〕 ‘Do you mind if we look around a little more?’ ‘Not at all. I'm in no hurry.’ “我再多转一下行吗？”“行，我不急。”be in no hurry to do something The sun was shining and I was in no hurry to get back to the office. 阳光灿烂，我并不急着回到办公室去。take it slowly/take things slowly /ˌteɪk ɪt ˈsləʊli, ˌteɪk θɪŋz ˈsləʊli/ [verb phrase]to deliberately do something slowly over a long period of time, because you will get better results if you do it that way 慢慢地做〔为取得更好的结果〕 Let's take it slowly, one step at a time, okay? 我们慢慢来吧，一步一步地，好吗？ You've just had a serious operation - you'll have to take things slowly for the next few weeks. 你刚刚动了个大手术，接着几个星期你做事得慢慢来。dawdle /ˈdɔːdl/ [intransitive verb]to move or work too slowly, especially because you are not really paying attention to what you are doing 〔行动或工作〕拖拉，磨蹭〔尤因心不在焉〕 We'll never get all the shopping done today if you dawdle like this. 如果你这样磨磨蹭蹭，我们今天就不可能把东西买齐。dawdle over I can't see why those guys in the office are dawdling over this. 我不明白公司里的那些人为什么对这件事拖拖拉拉的。4 to move more slowly or do something more slowly 更慢地移动或做某事slow down /ˌsləʊ ˈdaʊn/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]to move or do something more slowly, or make someone do this 〔使〕减速，〔使〕慢下来 Slow down! You're driving too fast! 慢一点！你开得太快了！ Everyone's always rushing around trying to get things done - we all need to slow down and take it easy. 大家总是急急忙忙地想把事情做好，我们都需要放松一点，慢慢来。slow somebody down We could have been here hours ago, but the rain slowed us down. 我们本来老早就到了，可是下雨令我们慢了。reduce speed /rɪˌdjuːs ˈspiːdǁ-ˌduːs-/ [verb phrase]to drive more slowly than before - used especially on road signs or in official instructions 减速〔尤用于道路标记或正式的说明中〕 Reduce speed now - roadworks ahead. 现在减速—前方道路施工。 There is heavy fog on all roads tonight so drivers are advised to reduce speed and drive with extra care. 今晚所有道路都降大雾，所以建议各位司机减速行驶，多加小心。5 to move more slowly than the other people 行动比其他人慢fall/drop behind /ˌfɔːl , ˌdrɒp- bɪˈhaɪndǁˌdrɑːp-/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]to move more slowly than the other people you are with, so that you become separated from them 落后〔于〕 A half an hour into the hike, two of the boys had already fallen behind. 徒步半个小时就已经有两个男孩落在了后面。 The ship was so slow it dropped far behind the rest of the convoy. 该轮船开得很慢，远远地落在船队其他船只的后面。lag behind /ˌlæg bɪˈhaɪnd/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]to walk or move more slowly than other people in the group you are with 落后；落在…后面 He deliberately lagged behind so he could have a cigarette. 他故意落在后面，那样就可以抽支烟。 We started walking faster, not wanting to lag behind the rest of the group. 我们不想掉队，于是开始加快了步速。6 to move slowly towards or away from something or someone 慢慢地移向或离开某物或某人crawl /krɔːl/ [intransitive verb]if a vehiclecrawls, it moves very slowly, because there is a lot of other traffic on the road, or because something is preventing it from moving at its usual speed 〔车辆因为交通堵塞或其他的阻碍〕缓慢地行进crawl along/down/up etc The old Buick barely managed to crawl up the hill. 这辆旧别克车好不容易爬上了山。 We sat in the car with the radio on, crawling along behind a long line of other cars. 我们坐在汽车里开着收音机，跟在一条汽车长龙后面徐徐而行。at a crawl /æt ə ˈkrɔːl/ [adverb]very slowly: 极慢地 Due to a major road accident, southbound traffic is moving at a crawl. 由于严重交通事故，南行车辆行驶缓慢。inch /ɪntʃ/ [intransitive verb]to move very slowly and carefully, stopping regularly, for example because there is not much space or because you do not want to be noticed 〔由于空间狭小或不想被人注意而〕谨慎地移动；缓慢地移动inch towards/forward/across etc The car inched forward into the narrow parking space. 汽车慢慢地驶进狭窄的车位。 We watched the cat inching along the ground, not taking its eyes off the bird for a second. 我们看着猫两眼紧紧地盯着那只鸟，一步一步地往前挪。inch your way along/towards/across etc I inched my way across the crowded room to where Lou was standing. 我一步一步地挤过拥挤的房间，米到卢站立的地方。edge /edʒ/ [intransitive verb]to move very slowly and carefully, stopping regularly, for example because you do not want to be noticed or because it would be dangerous to move more quickly 慢慢移动〔如因不想被发现或移动太快会有危险〕edge along/towards/across etc I started edging towards the door, hoping to slip away unnoticed. 我开始慢慢地朝门口挪去，希望能悄悄地溜走。 He kept an eye on me as he edged across the room. 他一边留心着我，一边慢慢挪向房间另一边。 Billy edged along the ledge, trying not to look down. 比利在岩架上缓缓挪动，尽量不往下看。creep /kriːp/ [intransitive verb]if light, a shadow, mist, water etccreeps somewhere, it moves so slowly that you almost do not notice it; if someone creeps somewhere, they move slowly and quietly so that they will not be noticed 〔灯光、影子、薄雾、水等〕渗进，弥漫；〔某人〕悄悄地慢慢移动creep across/towards/up etc Clouds crept across the horizon, just above the line of trees. 云团就在树梢上端，慢慢飘过地平线。 Armed men in ski masks crept up on the van and raked it with gunfire. 几个头戴滑雪面罩的持枪男子悄悄地靠近小型货车，用枪对着它扫射。 As the sun began to set, long shadows seemed to creep out of the corners. 太阳开始下山的时候，长长的影子好像慢慢爬出了角落。 We crept down to the deserted library at the other end of the hall, so that we could talk. 我们悄悄地溜到大厅另一头无人的图书室里去以便说话。