Slow vs. Slowly: Usage Guide
Some commentators claim that careful writers avoid the adverb slow, in spite of the fact that it has had over four centuries of usage.
William Shakespeare
In actual practice, slow and slowly are not used in quite the same way. Slow is almost always used with verbs that denote movement or action, and it regularly follows the verb it modifies.
Louise Prothro
Slowly is used before the verb
Paul Horgan
and with participial adjectives.
Amer. Labor
Slowly is used after verbs where slow might also be used
and after verbs where slow would be unidiomatic.
David Halberstam
Synonyms
Examples of slowly in a Sentence
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
As more time goes by, the guests begin to slowly lose their memories and get the vibe that something’s off.
—Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for slowly 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slowly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near slowly
Cite this Entry
“Slowly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slowly. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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