slack
1. dust consisting of a mixture of small coal fragments and coal dust and dirt that sifts out when coal is passed over a sieve
• Hypernyms:
debris, dust, junk, rubble, detritus
2. a noticeable deterioration in performance or quality
- the team went into a slump
- a gradual slack in output
- a drop-off in attendance
- a falloff in quality
• Syn:
slump, drop-off, falloff, falling off
• Derivationally related forms:
fall off (for: falloff), drop off (for: drop-off), slump (for: slump)
• Hypernyms:
deterioration, decline in quality, declension, worsening
3. a stretch of water without current or movement
- suddenly they were in a slack and the water was motionless
• Syn:
slack water
• Hypernyms:
stretch
4. a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
• Syn:
mire, quagmire, quag, morass
• Derivationally related forms:
quaggy (for: quag), miry (for: mire), mire (for: mire)
• Hypernyms:
bog, peat bog
5. the quality of being loose (not taut)
- he hadn't counted on the slackness of the rope
• Syn:
slackness
• Derivationally related forms:
slack (for: slackness)
• Hypernyms:
looseness, play
6. a cord or rope or cable that is hanging loosely
- he took up the slack
• Hypernyms:
cord
1. avoid responsibilities and work, be idle
• Derivationally related forms:
slacker, slacking
• Hypernyms:
fiddle, shirk, shrink from, goldbrick
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s
2. be inattentive to, or neglect
- He slacks his attention
• Derivationally related forms:
slacking
• Hypernyms:
neglect
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
3. release tension on
- slack the rope
• Hypernyms:
loosen, loose
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Something ----s something
4. become slow or slower
- Production slowed
• Syn:
slow, slow down, slow up, slacken
• Derivationally related forms:
slowdown (for: slow down), slowing (for: slow)
• Hypernyms:
weaken
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
- Somebody ----s
5. make less active or intense
• Syn:
slake, abate
• Derivationally related forms:
abatable (for: abate), abator (for: abate)
• Hypernyms:
decrease, lessen, minify
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Something ----s something
6. make less active or fast
- He slackened his pace as he got tired
- Don't relax your efforts now
• Syn:
slacken, slack up, relax
• Derivationally related forms:
relaxation (for: relax)
• Hypernyms:
decrease, lessen, minify
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Something ----s something
7. become less in amount or intensity
- The storm abated
- The rain let up after a few hours
• Syn:
abate, let up, slack off, die away
• Derivationally related forms:
letup (for: let up), abatement (for: abate)
• Hypernyms:
decrease, diminish, lessen, fall
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
8. cause to heat and crumble by treatment with water
- slack lime
• Syn:
slake
• Hypernyms:
hydrate
• Hyponyms:
air-slake
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
1. not tense or taut (Freq. 5)
- the old man's skin hung loose and grey
- slack and wrinkled skin
- slack sails
- a slack rope
• Syn:
loose
• Similar to:
lax
• Derivationally related forms:
slackness, looseness (for: loose)
2. flowing with little speed as e.g. at the turning of the tide
- slack water
• Similar to:
standing
3. lacking in rigor or strictness
- such lax and slipshod ways are no longer acceptable
- lax in attending classes
- slack in maintaining discipline
• Syn:
lax
• Similar to:
negligent
• Derivationally related forms:
slackness, laxness (for: lax), laxity (for: lax)
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