slow-poke

A child calls his friend a slow-poke as they walk to the park.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who moves, acts, or works very slowly: "slow-poke" refers to someone who is noticeably slow, often causing impatience in others. It is an informal or slang term used to describe a person who takes an excessively long time to do things.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Hurry up, slow-poke! We’re going to miss the bus. (A person who is moving too slowly.)
  • Don’t be such a slow-poke; we have a deadline to meet. (A person who is working too slowly.)
  • The younger brother is a real slow-poke when it comes to getting dressed in the morning. (A person who is habitually slow.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a slow-poke": to be a person who is slow in action or movement.

  • In the race, he was a slow-poke and finished last. (He was the slowest participant.)

• "to call someone a slow-poke": to label someone as slow, often playfully or teasingly.

  • The children called the new student a slow-poke because he walked so slowly. (They teased him for his slow pace.)

Variants and Related Words

• Slow (adj): moving or operating at a low speed.

  • The turtle is a slow animal. (The turtle moves at a low speed.)

• Poky (adj): (informal) annoyingly slow or sluggish.

  • The service at the restaurant was poky. (The service was frustratingly slow.)

Synonyms

• Laggard: a person who falls behind others.
• Sluggard: a lazy, slow-moving person.
• Dawdler: someone who wastes time by moving slowly.

Related Idioms

• "Slow and steady wins the race": a proverb meaning that consistent effort is more effective than speed, often used to contrast a slow-poke’s approach.

  • Even if you are a slow-poke, remember that slow and steady wins the race. (Consistency can lead to success despite slowness.)

• "To take one’s own sweet time": to do something very slowly, without concern for others.

  • The slow-poke took his own sweet time finishing the homework. (He did it extremely slowly.)