B1 Verb (past tense/past participle), Adjective Neutral #40 más común 2 min de lectura

slowed

/sloʊd/

The word 'slowed' describes the action or state of moving or progressing at a reduced pace.

Palabra en 30 segundos

  • Indicates a reduction in speed or rate of progress.
  • Functions as the past tense of the verb 'slow'.
  • Often used with 'down' to emphasize the action.

Overview

'Slowed' is primarily the past form of the verb 'slow.' It denotes a transition from a higher speed or rate to a lower one. Whether describing a vehicle, an economic trend, or a physical process, it implies a deceleration rather than a complete stop. 2) Usage Patterns: It is frequently used in the phrasal verb 'slowed down,' which adds emphasis to the process of deceleration. As a transitive verb, it takes an object (e.g., 'The rain slowed the runners'), while as an intransitive verb, it describes the subject's own change in speed (e.g., 'The car slowed as it approached the turn'). 3) Common Contexts: You will often encounter 'slowed' in news reports regarding the economy ('slowed growth'), health ('slowed heart rate'), and transportation ('slowed traffic due to construction'). It is a versatile word used in both literal, physical senses and figurative, abstract senses. 4) Similar Words Comparison: While 'decelerated' is a more technical or scientific synonym, 'slowed' is the standard term for everyday use. Unlike 'delayed,' which implies being late or held back from starting, 'slowed' implies that the movement is still happening, just at a reduced pace. It differs from 'hindered' in that 'hindered' suggests an obstacle or difficulty, whereas 'slowed' focuses purely on the rate of speed.

Ejemplos

1

He slowed the car as he drove through the school zone.

everyday

He reduced the speed of the car in the school zone.

2

The company's expansion slowed due to a lack of funding.

formal

The company's growth became less rapid because of money issues.

3

I totally slowed down once I realized I was ahead of schedule.

informal

I reduced my pace after noticing I had extra time.

4

The researchers observed that the chemical reaction slowed at lower temperatures.

academic

The scientists saw the reaction rate decrease in the cold.

Colocaciones comunes

slowed down reduced speed (phrasal verb)
significantly slowed reduced speed by a large amount
slowed growth a reduction in the rate of development

Frases Comunes

slowed to a crawl

moving extremely slowly, like a traffic jam

slowed to a halt

gradually coming to a complete stop

Se confunde a menudo con

slowed vs delayed

'Delayed' means something is late or hasn't started yet, while 'slowed' means it is moving at a lower speed.

slowed vs stopped

'Stopped' means all movement has ceased, whereas 'slowed' means movement continues but more slowly.

Patrones gramaticales

Subject + slowed + Object Subject + slowed + down Subject + was/were + slowed + by + Agent

How to Use It

Notas de uso

The word is very common in both British and American English. While 'slowed' can stand alone, 'slowed down' is almost always preferred when the subject is a person or a vehicle decreasing speed intentionally.


Errores comunes

A common mistake is using 'slowly' (the adverb) when 'slowed' (the verb) is required. For example, saying 'He slowly the car' instead of 'He slowed the car.'

Tips

💡

Use 'slowed down' for natural flow

In spoken English, adding 'down' after 'slowed' often sounds more natural when describing physical movement.

⚠️

Don't confuse with the adverb 'slowly'

'Slowed' is an action that happened, while 'slowly' describes how an action is being performed.

🌍

The 'Slowed' Trend in Music

In modern digital culture, 'slowed and reverb' refers to a popular style of remixing songs to a lower tempo.

Origen de la palabra

Derived from the Old English 'slāw,' which originally meant 'lazy' or 'sluggish.' The verbal form 'to slow' emerged later to describe the act of making something move at that speed.

Contexto cultural

In the modern 'hustle culture,' the idea of having 'slowed down' is often discussed in the context of mental health and work-life balance.

Truco para recordar

Think of the 'Slow' sign on a road. If you saw the sign and pressed the brake, you 'slowed' your car.

Preguntas frecuentes

4 preguntas

In most contexts, they are interchangeable. 'Slowed down' is more common in informal speech and emphasizes the process of losing speed.

Yes, it can describe a noun that has undergone a reduction in speed, such as 'a slowed metabolism' or 'slowed reactions'.

'Slowed' means the speed has decreased, while 'delayed' means something started later than expected or was paused.

It is a neutral word that is appropriate for both casual conversation and formal academic or business writing.

Ponte a prueba

fill blank

The heavy snow ___ the morning commute for thousands of people.

¡Correcto! No del todo. Respuesta correcta: slowed

The sentence requires a past tense verb to describe a completed action.

multiple choice

Economic growth has ___ significantly this quarter.

¡Correcto! No del todo. Respuesta correcta: slowed

'Slowed' correctly describes a reduction in the rate of growth.

sentence building

traffic / the / accident / the / slowed / down

¡Correcto! No del todo. Respuesta correcta: The accident slowed down the traffic.

The subject (accident) performs the action (slowed down) on the object (traffic).

Puntuación: /3

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