slowness

Everyday

1. The fact or quality of being slow: moving, happening or working without much speed. tree →
2. Being slow to understand or react. tree →

In the lessons

In science, the slowness of a process (erosion, growth of a tree) explains why we do not notice it. In stories, a character's slowness can be funny or worrying. Phrases: «the slowness of», «frustrated by the slowness».

Examples

• The slowness of the queue made everyone grumpy. tree →
• Snails are famous for their slowness. tree →
• We were annoyed by the slowness of the internet. tree →
• The slowness of erosion means canyons take millions of years to form. tree →
• Despite his slowness, the tortoise kept going. tree →
• The doctor worried about the slowness of her heartbeat. tree →

Note

Uncountable. From «slow» + -ness. Opposites: speed, quickness. Formal-ish; in everyday speech people say «how slow it is».