slowly but surely meaning, slowly but surely definition | English Cobuild dictionary



1       adv   You use surely to emphasize that you think something should be true, and you would be surprised if it was not true.  
ADV with cl/group     (emphasis)    You're an intelligent woman, surely you realize by now that I'm helping you..., If I can accept this situation, surely you can.     
2       adv   If something will surely happen or is surely the case, it will definitely happen or is definitely the case.  
FORMAL   ADV with cl, ADV before v   (=certainly)  
He knew that under the surgeon's knife he would surely die..., He is an artist, just as surely as Rembrandt or any other first-rate portrait painter is one.     
3    If you say that something is happening slowly but surely, you mean that it is happening gradually but it is definitely happening.  
slowly but surely             phrase   PHR with cl  
Slowly but surely she started to fall in love with him...     
Translation English - Cobuild Collins Dictionary  
slow     ( slower    comparative)   ( slowest    superlative)   ( slows    3rd person present)   ( slowing    present participle)   ( slowed    past tense & past participle  )
1       adj   Something that is slow moves, happens, or is done without much speed.,   (Antonym: fast)    The traffic is heavy and slow..., Electric whisks should be used on a slow speed., ...slow, regular breathing.     
   slowly             adv   ADV with v  
He spoke slowly and deliberately..., Christian backed slowly away.     
  slowness      n-uncount  
She lowered the glass with calculated slowness.     
2       adv   In informal English, slower is used to mean `at a slower speed' and slowest is used to mean `at the slowest speed'. In non-standard English, slow is used to mean `with little speed'.  
ADV after v     (Antonym: fast)    I began to walk slower and slower..., We got there by driving slow all the way.     
3       adj   Something that is slow takes a long time.,   (Antonym: quick)    The distribution of passports has been a slow process.     
  slowly      adv   ADV with v  
My resentment of her slowly began to fade.     
  slowness      n-uncount  
...the slowness of political and economic progress.     
4       adj   If someone is slow to do something, they do it after a delay.  
v-link ADJ, usu ADJ to-inf, ADJ in -ing     (Antonym: quick)    The world community has been slow to respond to the crisis...     
5       verb   If something slows or if you slow it, it starts to move or happen more slowly.  
The rate of bombing has slowed considerably...      V  
She slowed the car and began driving up a narrow road...      V n  
6       adj   Someone who is slow is not very clever and takes a long time to understand things.,   (Antonym: quick)    He got hit on the head and he's been a bit slow since.     
7       adj   If you describe a situation, place, or activity as slow, you mean that it is not very exciting.   (=quiet)     (Antonym: lively)    The island is too slow for her liking.     
8       adj   If a clock or watch is slow, it shows a time that is earlier than the correct time.  
usu v-link ADJ     (Antonym: fast)   
    slow off the mark  
    slowly but surely  
    slow on the uptake  
    uptake   slow down  
1       phrasal verb   If something slows down or is if something slows it down, it starts to move or happen more slowly.   (=slow up)     (Antonym: speed up)    The car slowed down as they passed Customs...      V P  
There is no cure for the disease, although drugs can slow down its rate of development...      V P n (not pron)  
Damage to the turbine slowed the work down.      V n P  
2       phrasal verb   If someone slows down or if something slows them down, they become less active.  
You will need to slow down for a while...      V P  
He was still taking some medication which slowed him down.      V n P, Also V P n (not pron)  
    slowdown   slow up      phrasal verb   Slow up means the same as slow down 1.  
Sales are slowing up...      V P  
The introduction of a new code of criminal procedure has also slowed up the system.      V P n (not pron), Also V n P  

Translation English - Cobuild Collins Dictionary  



at a snail's pace, at one's leisure, by degrees, gradually, inchmeal, in one's own (good) time, leisurely, ploddingly, steadily, taking one's time, unhurriedly, with leaden steps  

English Collins Dictionary - English synonyms & Thesaurus  

See also:

slow, slow-, slow lane, slovenly

Collaborative Dictionary     English Cobuild
[Slang] salty mama
business linked to the Internet but also to traditional economy


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