slowness

/ˈsləʊnəs/ (bre, ipa) · [slˈonəs] /ˈsləʊnəs/ (ame, ipa)

slowness — 名詞

1. the state of moving, progressing, or working at a pace that is lower than people

1.名詞B2
釋義

緩慢；遲緩

速度不快的狀態

the state of moving, progressing, or working at a pace that is lower than people want or expect

例句

Heavy rain caused slowness on the mountain road all afternoon.

大雨讓山路上的車流整個下午都很緩慢。

slowness on the road caused by weather

Passengers complained about the train's slowness after it stopped between two stations.

列車停在兩站之間後，乘客抱怨它的行進太過遲緩。

complain about + slowness of transport

同義詞
  • sluggishness

    more negative; suggests something is performing more slowly than it should

  • delay

    focuses on lateness or lost time, not simply low speed

  • lack of urgency

    suggests a human choice not to hurry, rather than a general low pace

反義詞
  • speed

    the general opposite for movement or progress

  • quickness

    stresses doing or noticing something in a short time

文法句型

slowness of + noun

slowness in + activity

用法筆記

Most often appears with of or in when the writer wants to name the area that is moving too slowly, such as traffic, progress, a machine, or someone's bodily movement. It usually describes an unwelcome lack of speed rather than a calm, chosen pace.

常見錯誤

❌The printer had a slowness today.
✅The printer was slow today.' or 'The printer's slowness was frustrating today.
💡Slowness is a noun for the condition; after be, English usually uses the adjective slow.
❌The bus slowness made me late.
✅The bus's slowness made me late.
💡Use a possessive form or 'the slowness of the bus' when naming what is slow.

2. a dull, drawn-out quality in a story or performance when too little happens to k

2.名詞B2
釋義

沉悶

作品節奏慢又不吸引人

a dull, drawn-out quality in a story or performance when too little happens to keep people interested

例句

Several students laughed at first, but the show's slowness soon lost their interest.

幾位學生一開始有笑，但節目的沉悶很快就讓他們失去興趣。

slowness of a show causing loss of interest

Critics blamed the film's slowness on long scenes where nothing important changed.

影評人把電影的沉悶歸咎於那些久拖不進、又沒有重要變化的場景。

review language: the film's slowness

同義詞
  • drag

    informal; strongly suggests something feels boring to sit through

  • tedium

    more formal; focuses on the tired, bored feeling the pace creates

  • dullness

    broader; can come from weak ideas as well as slow pacing

反義詞
  • pace

    stresses forward movement and energy in a story or performance

  • excitement

    focuses on the interest and action missing from this sense

文法句型

the slowness of + film / book / play

用法筆記

Usually appears in reviews of films, books, plays, lessons, or speeches. It criticizes the pace because too little happens, not simply because the work is long.

常見錯誤

❌The film's slowness means it lasts three hours.
✅The film's slowness means too little happens to keep viewers interested.
💡This sense is about dull pace, not just total length.
❌The show's slowness was because the actors were bad.
✅The show's slowness came from scenes that moved too little.
💡Slowness here points to pacing, not directly to acting quality.

3. a slower-than-usual mental response that makes someone learn, notice, or answer

3.名詞B2
釋義

遲鈍

理解或察覺事情不夠快

a slower-than-usual mental response that makes someone learn, notice, or answer less quickly

例句

The child's slowness in reading worried his teacher at the start of term.

學期剛開始時，孩子閱讀反應的遲鈍讓老師很擔心。

slowness in + learning activity

After the fever, Ziad noticed an unusual slowness in his thinking.

退燒後，Ziad 發現自己的思考變得異常遲鈍。

slowness in thinking after illness

同義詞
  • sluggishness

    broader; can describe body or mind, and often sounds more negative

  • dullness

    stronger and more critical; suggests a lack of mental sharpness

  • hesitation

    focuses on delay before acting, not necessarily on weak understanding

反義詞
  • alertness

    the opposite quality of noticing and reacting quickly

  • sharpness

    stresses quick understanding and clear mental ability

文法句型

slowness in + reading / thinking / answering

slowness with + instructions

用法筆記

Often appears with in or with before activities such as reading, learning, answering, or following instructions. It may describe a temporary problem after illness or shock, or a more lasting lack of mental speed.

常見錯誤

❌Her slowness means she is lazy.
✅Her slowness means she needs more time to understand or respond.
💡This sense is about mental speed, not about effort or character.
❌The student's slowness was in his legs.
✅The student's slowness was in reading and answering.
💡This sense belongs to thinking or noticing, not to physical movement.