Slacken

['slæk(ə)n] or ['slækən]

Definition

(verb.) make slack as by lessening tension or firmness.

(verb.) become looser or slack; 'the rope slackened'.

Editor: Nolan--From WordNet

Definition

(a.) To become slack; to be made less tense, firm, or rigid; to decrease in tension; as, a wet cord slackens in dry weather.

(a.) To be remiss or backward; to be negligent.

(a.) To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake; as, lime slacks.

(a.) To abate; to become less violent.

(a.) To lose rapidity; to become more slow; as, a current of water slackens.

(a.) To languish; to fail; to flag.

(a.) To end; to cease; to desist; to slake.

(v. t.) To render slack; to make less tense or firm; as, to slack a rope; to slacken a bandage.

(v. t.) To neglect; to be remiss in.

(v. t.) To deprive of cohesion by combining chemically with water; to slake; as, to slack lime.

(v. t.) To cause to become less eager; to repress; to make slow or less rapid; to retard; as, to slacken pursuit; to slacken industry.

(v. t.) To cause to become less intense; to mitigate; to abate; to ease.

(n.) A spongy, semivitrifled substance which miners or smelters mix with the ores of metals to prevent their fusion.

Edited by Estelle

Synonyms and Synonymous

v. n. [1]. Slack, abate, become less intense.[2]. Become loose or slack, be made less tight or tense.

v. a. [1]. Retard, slack, moderate, make slower.[2]. Loosen, relax, make less tight or tense, lessen the tension of.[3]. Lessen, diminish, abate.

Checked by Jerome

Synonyms and Antonyms

SYN:Loosen, abate, withhold, remit, languish, flag, moderate

ANT:Tighten, increase, freshen

Edited by Alta