slacks
slacks — noun
1. a pair of trousers made in a style similar to suit trousers but designed to be w
a pair of trousers made in a style similar to suit trousers but designed to be worn on their own, either for formal occasions without a jacket or as smart-casual wear.
Kenji wore a grey jacket with dark blue slacks for the office party.
collocation: jacket with slacks
The store sells cotton slacks in eight different colours.
Mei-Lin pressed her black slacks before the job interview.
Most of the men at the dinner wore slacks and blazers.
- jeans
casual denim trousers, opposite in formality
文法句型
slacks + plural verb
用法筆記
In British English, 'slacks' refers specifically to smart trousers that are not part of a matching suit. In American English, the term is less common and may simply mean casual trousers. Always used in the plural form.
常見錯誤
2. the state of being loose, not tight, or not pulled firm; the amount of extra len
the state of being loose, not tight, or not pulled firm; the amount of extra length or movement in a rope, cable, or fabric.
The climber pulled the rope until there was no slack left.
collocation: take up / pull out the slack
Kwame adjusted the slack in the fishing line so it floated on the water.
Too much slack in the guitar string made the note sound flat.
Ananya checked the slack on all four tent pegs before the storm hit.
- tension
the opposite state — being pulled tight
文法句型
slack + verb
用法筆記
Typically used with verbs like 'take up', 'pull out', 'leave', or 'adjust'. Commonly refers to ropes, cables, strings, or any flexible material under tension.
常見錯誤
3. the amount of time, money, space, or resources that is available beyond what is
the amount of time, money, space, or resources that is available beyond what is currently needed; spare capacity or leeway.
The factory kept some slack in the budget for unexpected repairs.
collocation: slack in the budget / schedule
Sofia had no slack in her schedule to take on another project.
collocation: no slack in [resource]
A good manager builds a little slack into every delivery timeline.
With three new employees joining, the team finally has some slack.
- shortage
the opposite — not enough to meet needs
文法句型
slack for [something]
用法筆記
Common in business and project management contexts. Often used in negative constructions ('no slack', 'little slack') to indicate tight margins or heavy workload.
常見錯誤
4. the very small pieces and powder that are left over from processing or mining co
the very small pieces and powder that are left over from processing or mining coal; coal screenings too fine for many industrial uses.
The mining company sold the coal slack to a brick-making factory.
Workers shovelled the slack into bags for use in low-grade furnaces.
A pile of coal slack sat beside the railway tracks for three weeks.
The old steam engine was fed a mix of coal and slack to keep costs down.
- screenings
the technical term for fine coal by-products
- culm
refers specifically to waste coal in the anthracite industry
文法句型
slack + noun
用法筆記
A specialised industrial term, rarely encountered outside mining or energy contexts. Not to be confused with the general 'slack' meaning looseness or spare capacity.
slacks — verb
1. to work at a slower speed or with less effort than expected, especially in order
to work at a slower speed or with less effort than expected, especially in order to avoid doing what you are supposed to do.
Diego was sacked for slacking when the manager found him asleep in the storage room.
informal register
Hiroshi told himself not to slack on his homework during the holiday break.
collocation: slack on [task]
The team leader noticed two workers slacking behind a pile of boxes.
Ama admitted she had been slacking at the gym and needed to train harder.
- diligent
the opposite behaviour — working hard and carefully
文法句型
slack + on [task]
用法筆記
Informal in tone. Often used in phrases like 'stop slacking' or 'get back to work (instead of slacking)'. The phrasal verb 'slack off' is more common in American English.
常見錯誤
2. to gradually become less tight, firm, or tense; to lose tension or tautness.
to gradually become less tight, firm, or tense; to lose tension or tautness.
The tent ropes had slacked overnight after the heavy rain soaked them.
A sailing crew watches the sheets carefully so the sail never slacks too much.
domain: sailing
As the temperature rose, the wire fence slacked and began to sag.
Zara checked the washing line and tightened it where it had slacked.
- tighten
to become tighter
文法句型
slack + [preposition]
用法筆記
Less common than the adjective form 'go slack' or 'become slack'. Most frequently encountered in technical or mechanical contexts (ropes, cables, sails).
常見錯誤
❌ 'The rope slacked, so I slacked it.' — The intransitive verb 'slack' (become loose) and transitive verb 'slack' (make loose) are different uses. Context clarifies which is meant.
3. to deliberately make something less tight or tense; to release or reduce the ten
to deliberately make something less tight or tense; to release or reduce the tension on a rope, cable, or strap.
Omar slacked the guy ropes on the tent so he could move it a few feet.
The sailor slacked the mainsheet to let the wind fill the sail fully.
domain: sailing
Arjun slacked the dog's lead so the animal could sniff the bushes.
Before untying the load, Minh slacked the straps one by one.
- tighten
to increase tension on something
文法句型
slack + [object]
用法筆記
More common in nautical and outdoor contexts. The transitive verb 'slack' is the deliberate counterpart to the intransitive 'slack' (sense 2).
4. to become less intense, strong, or active; to decrease in force or speed.
to become less intense, strong, or active; to decrease in force or speed.
The storm slacked after midnight, allowing the rescue team to go out.
intransitive: storm / wind / rain slacks
The rain slacked to a drizzle by the time Takuya reached the station.
Maria waited for the wind to slack before taking the small boat out on the lake.
The wind slacked toward evening, so the fishing boats finally left the harbour.
- intensify
to become stronger or more extreme
文法句型
slack + [time/preposition phrase]
用法筆記
This intransitive sense describes a natural force or activity decreasing on its own. It is most common with weather phenomena (wind, storm, rain). The transitive 'slacken' is the more frequent modern form when an agent causes the reduction.
slacks — adjective
1. pulled or stretched less than is usual or needed; not tight, firm, or taut.
pulled or stretched less than is usual or needed; not tight, firm, or taut.
The rope was too slack to hold the boat against the current.
slack rope / line / cable
Emma tightened the slack guitar strings until each one played the right note.
slack strings / wire / chain
Her skin felt slack after she lost a lot of weight very quickly.
The line between the two poles hung slack in the afternoon heat.
- tight
pulled firmly; the opposite state
文法句型
slack + noun
用法筆記
Used for physical objects (ropes, cables, fabric, skin) that have too little tension. The opposite is 'tight' or 'taut'.
2. not busy; with very little commercial or social activity happening; having few c
not busy; with very little commercial or social activity happening; having few customers or orders.
The café is always slack on Tuesday afternoons between lunch and dinner.
collocation: slack period / season / time
Business gets slack during the winter months at the beach resort.
collocation: business is slack
James found a summer job even though the hotel industry was unusually slack.
The real estate market turned slack after interest rates went up.
Priyanka used the slack afternoon to reorganise the stockroom.
- busy
having a lot of activity or customers
文法句型
slack + noun
用法筆記
Describes periods, not individual moments. 'Slack' in this sense refers to a general lull in activity, not a temporary pause. A 'slack season' is a predictable slow period in an annual cycle.
常見錯誤
3. not taking enough care or making enough effort when doing something; failing to
not taking enough care or making enough effort when doing something; failing to meet expected standards of diligence.
The security guard was criticised for being slack in checking visitors' ID badges.
collocation: slack in + [doing something]
The company's slack safety procedures led to a serious accident at the factory.
slack procedures / discipline / supervision
Vikram received a warning for slack behaviour during the training exercise.
A slack attitude to data protection can result in heavy fines.
- diligent
showing careful effort and attention
文法句型
slack in + [gerund/noun]
用法筆記
Stronger than 'careless'; 'slack' in this sense implies a repeated or systematic failure to do what is required, rather than a one-time mistake.
常見錯誤
4. controlled or limited in degree, amount, or pace; deliberately kept to a moderat
controlled or limited in degree, amount, or pace; deliberately kept to a moderate, not-extreme level.
Fatima cooked the onions over a slack heat until they turned golden brown.
collocation: slack heat (moderate cooking temperature)
The rowers maintained a slack pace as they passed under the low bridge.
collocation: slack pace (moderate speed)
Wei kept the campfire at a slack burn so the coals would last through the night.
The orchestra played the quiet section at a slack tempo, barely above a whisper.
- intense
extreme or strong in degree
文法句型
slack + [noun of degree/intensity]
用法筆記
This sense describes a deliberately moderate degree or pace, not a failure of effort. It contrasts with the NEGLIGENT sense (adj/3), which implies carelessness or inadequate effort. A slack pace is a chosen moderate speed; slack procedures are negligent ones.
5. blowing or moving at a low speed; not strong or forceful (used of wind, water cu
blowing or moving at a low speed; not strong or forceful (used of wind, water currents, or similar natural forces).
A slack breeze barely moved the flags on the flagpole.
The sailors waited for hours in the slack wind, unable to leave the harbour.
collocation: slack wind / breeze / current
Chloe felt the slack current as she floated on her back in the calm bay.
Conditions were ideal for beginners because the air was slack and the water flat.
- strong
blowing forcefully; the opposite of 'slack wind'
文法句型
slack + noun
用法筆記
A specialised use, primarily in nautical and meteorological descriptions of wind speed. Not common in general conversation; 'light' or 'gentle' are more frequent alternatives.