Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Lacking in rigor, strictness, or care: Not showing enough care, effort, or attention; lax.
   • Not tight or taut: Loose, not pulled or stretched tight.
   • Not busy or active: Characterized by a lack of work or activity; slow.

2. Noun:

   • The part of a rope, line, or cable that hangs loose: The loose or unused portion of a rope.
   • A period of low activity or business: A time when there is little work or trade.
   • A noticeable decline or deterioration: A drop in quality, performance, or intensity.

3. Verb:

   • To be lazy or neglectful: To avoid work or responsibilities; to be idle.
   • To reduce in intensity or speed: To become or make something slower or less active.
   • To loosen or make less taut: To release tension on something.

Examples

• Adjective:

  • The teacher was slack about homework deadlines.
  • Pull the rope tight until there is no slack left in it.
  • Business is usually slack during the winter months.

• Noun:

  • The sailor took up the slack in the line.
  • There is a slack in demand after the holidays.
  • The team's performance suffered a slack in the second half.

• Verb:

  • He tends to slack off when the boss isn't watching.
  • The wind slacked in the evening.
  • You should slack the rope before tying the knot.

Advanced Usage

• "To cut someone some slack": To treat someone less severely or critically; to be more lenient.

  • His first day was hard, so let's cut him some slack.

• "To pick/take up the slack": To do work that someone else has failed to do; to compensate for a lack.

  • When her colleague left, she had to pick up the slack.

Variants and Related Words

• Slacken (verb): To become or make slower, looser, or less active.
  • The rain began to slacken.
• Slackness (noun): The quality or state of being slack.
  • The slackness of the regulations caused problems.
• Slacker (noun): A person who avoids work or effort.
  • He was labeled a slacker for missing meetings.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Lax, loose, slow, sluggish, negligent.
• Noun: Lull, slowdown, slump, looseness.
• Verb: Loosen, relax, shirk, idle, abate.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Slack off: To work less hard or be less active; to be lazy.
  • Students sometimes slack off near the end of term.
• Slack up: To reduce speed or intensity.
  • The driver slacked up as he approached the curve.

Related Idioms

• Slack water: The period at the turn of the tide when there is little or no current.
  • The boat drifted during slack water.

Adjective

1. lacking in rigor or strictness
   • such lax and slipshod ways are no longer acceptable
   • lax in attending classes
   • slack in maintaining discipline
2. flowing with little speed as e.g. at the turning of the tide
   • slack water
3. not tense or taut
   • the old man's skin hung loose and grey
   • slack and wrinkled skin
   • slack sails
   • a slack rope

Noun

1. a cord or rope or cable that is hanging loosely
   • he took up the slack
2. the quality of being loose (not taut)
   • he hadn't counted on the slackness of the rope
3. a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
4. a stretch of water without current or movement
   • suddenly they were in a slack and the water was motionless
5. 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
6. dust consisting of a mixture of small coal fragments and coal dust and dirt that sifts out when coal is passed over a sieve

Verb

1. cause to heat and crumble by treatment with water
   • slack lime
2. become less in amount or intensity
   • The storm abated
   • The rain let up after a few hours
3. make less active or intense
4. become slow or slower
   • Production slowed
5. make less active or fast
   • He slackened his pace as he got tired
   • Don't relax your efforts now
6. release tension on
   • slack the rope
7. be inattentive to, or neglect
   • He slacks his attention
8. avoid responsibilities and work, be idle