In our fast-paced world, it’s often enlightening to slow down. This post explores 20 idioms that encapsulate the concept of slowness, offering a linguistic pause to appreciate the slower moments of life.
Idioms That Describe Slowness
1. Slow as molasses
Meaning: Extremely slow.
Example: He walks slow as molasses.
2. Snail’s pace
Meaning: Very slowly.
Example: Progress moved at a snail’s pace.
3. Watching paint dry
Meaning: Something very boring or slow.
Example: Waiting here is like watching paint dry.
4. As slow as a wet week
Meaning: Very slow and dragging.
Example: This day is as slow as a wet week.
5. Like watching grass grow
Meaning: Boringly slow.
Example: The lecture was like watching grass grow.
6. Slow burner
Meaning: Slowly developing.
Example: The plot is a slow burner.
7. Slow on the uptake
Meaning: Slow to understand or realize.
Example: He’s slow on the uptake.
8. Slow but sure
Meaning: Slow yet reliable.
Example: His progress is slow but sure.
9. At a snail’s gallop
Meaning: Very slowly.
Example: He works at a snail’s gallop.
10. To drag one’s feet
Meaning: Delay in action or progress.
Example: She always drags her feet.
11. At a glacier’s pace
Meaning: Extremely slow.
Example: Change here happens at a glacier’s pace.
12. Slow as the Mississippi
Meaning: Very slow.
Example: He’s slow as the Mississippi.
13. Slower than molasses in January
Meaning: Exceptionally slow.
Example: This queue is slower than molasses in January.
14. To crawl at a snail’s pace
Meaning: To move very slowly.
Example: Traffic crawled at a snail’s pace.
15. To take one’s time
Meaning: Proceed slowly.
Example: She always takes her time.
16. Like a tortoise
Meaning: Extremely slow.
Example: He runs like a tortoise.
17. To move at a leisurely pace
Meaning: To move slowly.
Example: We moved at a leisurely pace.
18. To inch along
Meaning: To move very slowly.
Example: The line inches along slowly.
19. To dawdle
Meaning: To waste time or be slow.
Example: Stop dawdling and hurry up!
20. To lag behind
Meaning: To fall behind in movement or progress.
Example: He often lags behind the rest.
