/ Dictionary / Index S slack: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: slack Pronunciation: (slak), [key] — adj. not tight, taut, firm, or tense; loose: a slack rope. negligent; careless; remiss: slack proofreading. slow, sluggish, or indolent: He is slack in answering letters. not active or busy; dull; not brisk: the slack season in an industry. moving very slowly, as the tide, wind, or water. weak; lax. easy (def. 15a). —adv. in a slack manner. —n. a slack condition or part. the part of a rope, sail, or the like, that hangs loose, without strain upon it. a decrease in activity, as in business or work: a sudden slack in output. a period of decreased activity. a cessation in a strong flow, as of a current at its turn. a depression between hills, in a hillside, or in the land surface. (in sprung rhythm) the unaccented syllable or syllables. a morass; marshy ground; a hollow or dell with soft, wet ground at the bottom. Take up the slack before releasing the kite. to pull in or make taut a loose section of a rope, line, wire, etc.:Take up the slack before releasing the kite. to provide or compensate for something that is missing or incomplete:New sources of oil will take up the slack resulting from the embargo. —v.t. to be remiss in respect to (some matter, duty, right, etc.); shirk; leave undone: He slacked the most important part. to make or allow to become less active, vigorous, intense, etc.; relax (efforts, labor, speed, etc.); lessen; moderate (often fol. by up). to make loose, or less tense or taut, as a rope; loosen (often fol. by off or out). to slake (lime). —v.i. to be remiss; shirk one's duty or part. to become less active, vigorous, rapid, etc. (often fol. by up): Business is slacking up. to become less tense or taut, as a rope; to ease off. to become slaked, as lime. slack Pronunciation: (slak), [key] — n. the fine screenings of coal. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: slack (Thesaurus) slab track slack-baked Related Content Daily Word Quiz: neologism Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language