slack
/slæk/ (bre, ipa) · /slæk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈslak/ (ame, mw)
slack — adjective
- slackpositive
- slackercomparative
- slackestsuperlative
1. pulled or held with not enough tension; loose rather than stretched tight, so th
pulled or held with not enough tension; loose rather than stretched tight, so that the rope, cable, fabric, or material hangs with extra length.
Anong pulled the slack rope tight again before tying it to the dock.
collocation: slack rope / slack cable
The muscles in Sofia's shoulders felt slack after the long massage.
If the belt is too slack, the machine will not spin properly.
The kite string went slack when the wind suddenly stopped blowing.
Several slack cables hung from the broken mast after the storm passed.
用法筆記
Often describes physical objects such as ropes, cables, strings, belts, or fabric that should be tight but are not.
常見錯誤
2. lacking in activity or business; not showing the necessary care or effort when c
lacking in activity or business; not showing the necessary care or effort when carrying out a task; failing to maintain the expected standard of strictness.
Business is usually slack at the cafe between lunch and dinner.
collocation: slack business / slack period
The manager warned Ryo not to get slack about cleaning the kitchen.
Attendance was slack on the Friday before the long weekend holiday.
Elena felt her team were getting slack about checking the equipment.
The hotel has a slack season with very few visitors during winter.
用法筆記
Can describe both a business/period (not busy, slow) and a person's behaviour (not careful enough, lazy). Frequently used with 'get slack about' + noun/-ing form.
常見錯誤
slack — noun
1. the part of a rope, cable, or wire that hangs loose; the condition or amount of
the part of a rope, cable, or wire that hangs loose; the condition or amount of looseness present when something has not been pulled tight.
Ishaan took in the slack of the rope before the boat drifted further.
collocation: take in the slack / pull the slack
The climber pulled the slack from the safety line before moving up.
There is too much slack in the cable; it needs to be tightened.
Jude cut the slack from the fishing line and threw the hook again.
- tension
the state of being stretched tight
用法筆記
Uncountable. Common with verbs like 'take in', 'pull', 'cut', 'give', and 'leave'. Used in climbing, sailing, fishing, and rigging contexts.
常見錯誤
2. a pair of fairly formal trousers, usually made of wool or cotton, that are less
a pair of fairly formal trousers, usually made of wool or cotton, that are less formal than a suit but more formal than jeans.
Christopher wore a navy blazer with grey slacks to the interview.
collocation: wear slacks / a pair of slacks
The shop had a sale on wool slacks for the autumn season.
Marta's black slacks were comfortable enough for the long plane ride.
Noa bought two pairs of cotton slacks and a white shirt for work.
用法筆記
Always plural (like 'trousers'). Singular 'slack' does not exist for this sense. Usually refers to trousers without the matching suit jacket worn as separates.
常見錯誤
3. very small pieces of coal mixed with coal dust, produced as waste when coal is b
very small pieces of coal mixed with coal dust, produced as waste when coal is broken or passed through a sieve.
The railway yard was covered in coal slack and black dust.
usually uncountable: coal slack
Workers used a large sieve to separate the coal from the slack.
The old furnace burned a mixture of coal and slack for heating.
Small trucks carried the slack away from the sorting area to dump it.
- coal dust
finer particles; can include powdered coal
- screenings
general term for waste material separated by sieving
用法筆記
Uncountable. A technical mining term, uncommon in everyday conversation. Often used attributively as 'coal slack'.
slack — verb
- slackpresent simple I / you / we / they
- slacks3rd person singular
- slacking-ing form
- slackedpast simple
1. to put less energy or speed into your work than you normally would; to become sl
to put less energy or speed into your work than you normally would; to become slower, less active, or less intense.
Adisa got fired because he kept slacking at work every day.
phrasal verb: slack off
The rain has slacked off, so we can continue the walk now.
pattern: [rain/wind] slacks off
Try not to slack during the last few weeks of your training.
Production slacked after the main pump broke down last week.
The teacher told the students to stop slacking and finish their work.
用法筆記
Often used with 'off' as a phrasal verb 'slack off' meaning to avoid work. Also describes natural forces slowing down (rain slacking, wind slacking).
常見錯誤
2. to make something looser; to release the tension or tightness of a rope, cable,
to make something looser; to release the tension or tightness of a rope, cable, sail, or similar object.
Anong slacked the guitar string a little before tuning it higher.
The sailor slacked the main sail to slow the boat down.
transitive: slack [a rope/sail/cable]
Jude slacked the rope slightly to give the heavy load more room.
You need to slack the clamp before you can remove the pipe from it.
用法筆記
Less common than the synonym 'slacken'. Used mainly in manual or mechanical contexts involving ropes, cables, belts, and clamps. Requires a direct object.