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slack Synonyms

Another word for slack

Choosing another word for slack depends on context, so the 43 synonyms and similar words below are separated across 10 exact definitions and ranked by match strength.
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• adjective (Context 1)

Not taut or held tightly in position; hanging loosely.

Usage Example

"The sailors pulled on the loose rope until the sail was secure."

Strongest
loose
lax
Strong
limp
flaccid
relaxed

• noun (Context 2)

A spell of inactivity, laziness, or reduced business; unused capacity or leniency.

Usage Example

"When two team members fell ill, the rest of the staff worked overtime to pick up the lull."

Strong
lull
leeway
latitude
leniency

• adjective (Context 3)

Careless, negligent, or lacking in diligence and effort.

Usage Example

"The auditor criticized the department for its lax accounting practices."

Strongest
lax
negligent
remiss
Strong
careless
slapdash
inattentive

• verb (Context 4)

To work more slowly or with less effort and care than usual; to shirk one's duty.

Usage Example

"With final exams approaching, the students knew they could not afford to slack off."

Strongest
slack off
shirk
Strong
loaf
idle
dawdle
laze

• noun (Context 5)

The part of a rope, line, or fabric that hangs loose without being pulled taut.

Usage Example

"He turned the winch slowly to take up the looseness in the cable."

Strongest
looseness
Strong
play
give

• adjective (Context 6)

Having few transactions or little activity; sluggish or quiet (especially of business or trade).

Usage Example

"Retailers often offer steep discounts during the slow winter months."

Strongest
slow
sluggish
Strong
quiet
stagnant
inactive
dull

• verb (Context 7)

To loosen or decrease the tension of (a rope, cord, or muscle).

Usage Example

"The climber slacked the safety line once she reached the broad ledge."

Strongest
slacken
loosen
Strong
relax
ease

• verb (Context 8)

To decrease in vigor, speed, or intensity.

Usage Example

"Demand for summer apparel usually slacks toward the end of August."

Strongest
slacken
Strong
abate
subside
let up
wane
diminish

• adverb (Context 9)

Loosely; without being pulled taut or tight.

Usage Example

"The reins hung loosely in the exhausted rider's hands."

Strongest
loosely
slackly
Strong
limply

• noun (Context 10)

Small coal or coal dust remaining after larger pieces have been screened out.

Usage Example

"The furnace was designed to burn cheap culm rather than large lumps of coal."

Strong
culm
dross

Opposites of slack

The opposite of slack shifts depending on context. Common opposites include:

taut
tighten
tautly
tauten
diligent
tight
tautness
busy
See all opposites of slack

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Synonyms for Slack. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/synonyms/slack
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