low

SayLOH/ˈloʊ/UK/ˈləʊ/

Adjectivelower, lowest

Noun plurallows

Adverblower, lowest

46 meanings of low

Practice

1
adjective
Small in amount, number, or level, or having only a little of something, like low in sugar.
Prices are low at that store this week.
He drove at a low speed past the school.
UsageSay low prices or a low temperature. The opposite is high.
Similarsmall, modest, minimal
Oppositehigh
2
little heightadjective
Close to the ground, or not far above it.
The fence was so low that the dog jumped over it.
Watch out for that low branch hanging over the trail.
UsageSay a low wall but a short man.
Similarnether
Oppositehigh
Note
3
lesser statusadjective
Having little importance or respect, or not of good quality.
Long ago, servants and farm workers had low status in society.
The store sells cheap shoes of very low quality.
UsageSay low quality for things that are not good.
Similarhumble, inferior, base, mean, cheap
Oppositehigh, noble, exalted, superior
4
adjective
Smaller in height than usual, or below the usual level.
The river is low after the dry summer.
The door of the old cabin is low, so watch your head.
UsageSay the river is low after a dry summer.
Similarshort, small
Oppositetall, deep
Note
5
adjective
At the bottom point, where something is at its worst or smallest.
Getting lost in the rain was the low point of our trip.
Sales hit their low mark in January and climbed after that.
UsageSay the low point of the trip.
Similarbottom, worst, minimum
Oppositehigh, peak, top
6
minimum reachednouncountable
The lowest or worst point or time, such as prices at their lowest or a very sad time in life.
The stock hit a new low on Friday.
Losing his job was a real low, but he did not give up.
UsageSay prices hit a new low.
Similarnadir, bottom, minimum, trough
Oppositehigh, peak
Note
7
adverb
In a position close to the ground, or not high up.
The plane flew low over the houses before landing.
Hang the picture low so the kids can see it.
UsageSay birds fly low.
Similardown, close
Oppositehigh, aloft
8
adverb
For less money than usual, at a cheap price.
The shop priced its old phones low so they would sell quickly.
He sold his old bike low because he needed the money fast.
UsageSay buy low and sell high.
Similarcheap, cheaply, inexpensively
Oppositehigh, dear
9
nouncountable
The coldest temperature in a place during a day or night.
Tonight's low will be near freezing, so cover the plants.
The low this morning was only forty degrees.
UsageSay a high of 60 and a low of 38.
Similarminimum
Oppositehigh, maximum

Less common meanings

10
adjective
Almost used up, or not having much of something left.
Like a gas tank that is almost empty.
We are low on milk, so I will buy some today.
My phone battery is low after the long trip.
UsageSay we are low on milk or running low on gas.
Similarreduced, depleted, expended
Oppositefull, plentiful, ample
11
adjective
Quiet and soft, not loud.
She spoke in a low voice so the baby would stay asleep.
Keep the music low while I am on the phone.
UsageSay in a low voice to mean quietly.
Similarsoft, quiet, faint, hushed, muffled
Oppositeloud, raised
Note
12
deep-pitchedadjective
Making a deep sound, not a high or squeaky one.
Like the deep boom of a big drum, not the high ring of a small bell.
He has a very low singing voice.
The tuba makes the lowest notes in the band.
UsageSay a deep voice to mean low in sound, not quiet.
Similardeep, low-pitched
Oppositehigh, high-pitched, shrill
Note
13
adjective
Feeling sad and without much energy or hope.
Like a gray, rainy day inside your head.
She felt low after her best friend moved away.
He seemed low all week after losing the big game.
UsageSay I feel low when you are sad.
Similarsad, unhappy, down, blue, depressed
Oppositehappy, cheerful, elated, upbeat
Note
14
adjective
Mean, unfair, or wrong in a way that makes people think less of the person who did it.
Reading her diary without asking was a really low thing to do.
It was low of him to make fun of his brother in front of the whole class.
UsageSay that was low when someone did something mean.
Similarmean, despicable, contemptible, dirty, shabby
Oppositenoble, decent, honorable
Note
15
nouncountable
A weather area where the air pressure is lower than in the air around it.
The weather report says a low will bring rain tomorrow.
Two lows passed over the coast this week, one after the other.
UsageSay a low is bringing rain.
Similardepression, cyclone
Oppositehigh, anticyclone
Note
16
adjective
Weak and without strength or energy, often because of sickness.
After two weeks of fever, the boy was too low to sit up.
The fever left the little boy very low and pale.
Similarweak, feeble, frail, faint, exhausted
Oppositestrong, healthy, robust, vigorous
Note
17
primitiveadjectivedated
Simple in how it is built or developed, not complex.
In lower animals, like jellyfish, there is no brain at all.
In the case of languages spoken by very low races, like the Puris and the Tasmanians, the difficulty of deciding such a point must be very great.
1870, Edward Burnett Tylor, Researches Into the Early History of Mankind and the Development of CivilizationHere, low means simple and less developed.
Similarprimitive, simple, basic, rudimentary, elementary
Oppositehigh, advanced, complex, sophisticated
Note
18
necklineadjective
Cut so that it shows the neck and the top of the chest.
She liked the low neck of the dress because it showed her necklace.
That top is too low for school, so wear a jacket over it.
UsageSay a low neckline, or a low-cut dress.
Similarplunging, revealing
Oppositehigh, high-necked
Note
19
talk quietlyadverb
In a quiet and soft voice, not loudly.
She spoke low so no one else could hear.
We talked low so we wouldn't wake the baby.
UsageSay we talked low so the baby could sleep.
Similarquietly, softly
Oppositeloudly, loud
Note
20
first gearnoununcountable
The slowest gear in a car or other machine, used for steep hills or heavy loads.
Put the car in low when you drive up a steep hill.
The tractor stayed in low while it pulled the heavy trailer.
UsageSay put the car in low on a steep hill.
Similarfirst
Oppositehigh, top
21
adjective
Made for moving or working at a slow speed.
Use a low gear when you ride your bike up a hill.
Set the mixer to its low speed so the flour does not fly out.
Similarslow
Oppositehigh
Note
22
deep-pitchedadverb
With a deep sound, not a high one.
He can sing very low, much deeper than his brother.
The tuba plays much lower than the flute.
UsageSay a singer can go very low.
Similardeep
Oppositehigh
Note
23
adjective
Passing below the batter's knees when the ball reaches home plate.
The first pitch was low, so the umpire called it a ball.
The batter swung at a low pitch near his ankles and missed it.
Oppositehigh
Note
24
adjective
Showing that you think someone or something is not good or important.
My uncle has a low opinion of loud music.
My grandma has a low opinion of video games.
UsageSay I have a low opinion of loud music.
Similardisdainful, contemptuous, dismissive, scornful, disrespectful
Oppositehigh, favorable
Note
25
nounslanguncountable
A cheap price, a good deal on something you buy.
She got the phone for the low because it was last year's model.
He sells T-shirts for the low at the weekend market.
Similarcheap
Note
26
card valueadjective
Worth less than other cards or suits in a card game.
He lost the hand because all his cards were low.
In some games, the ace can count as the lowest card.
Similarsmall
Oppositehigh
Note
27
voweladjective
Made with the mouth open wide and the tongue held down, like the 'ah' in 'father'.
Say 'ah' and you make a low vowel, with your mouth open wide.
Open your mouth wide to say the low vowel in 'hot'.
Similaropen
Oppositehigh, close
Note
28
verbintransitive
To moo, or make the long, deep sound that cows make.
The cows started to low when they saw the farmer bringing hay.
We could hear cattle lowing in the field all night.
Similarmoo, bellow
Note
29
adjectivearchaic
Humble and gentle, not proud or thinking you are better than others.
God loves an humble soul. It is not our high birth, but our low hearts God delights in.
1829, Thomas Watson, Discourses on Important and Interesting SubjectsHere, low means humble and gentle, not proud.
30
adjectivearchaic
Dead and no longer alive, a meaning found in old poems.
And wilt thou weep when I am low?
1830, George Gordon Byron Baron Byron, Byron's PoemsHere, low means dead.
31
adjective
From the lower, flatter part of a country, or spoken there.
32
adjective
In a game, almost out of health.
33
adjective
Liking things plain and without much ceremony.
34
adjective
Lying close to the middle line of the Earth.
35
adjectivearchaic
Of food, plain and giving only what the body needs.
The Physicians ordered a low diet, and cooling ptisans in great abundance.
1789, John Moore, Zeluco
36
noun
In some card games, the smallest trump card.
37
adverb
In a humble way, or in poor conditions with little money or rank.
38
adverb
At a time closer to now.
39
adverb
Of a star or planet, on a path that keeps near the horizon or the sky's equator.
40
verbobsolete
To make something go down.
Dat 'ill be somtin' ta hise an' low wi' a ütterly breeze.
1899, Shetland News
41
verbobsolete
An old way of saying "laughed."
42
noundialectalScotlandUK
A fire.
43
verbdialectalScotlandUK
To be on fire.
44
nounobsolete
A pile of earth over a grave.
A barrow or Low, such as were usually cast up over the bodies of eminent Captains.
1686, Robert Plot, The natural history of Staffordshire
45
nounarchaicScottish
A small rise of land.
And some they brought the brown lint-seed, and flung it down from the Low.
1847, Mary Howitt, Ballads and other poems
46
verbdialectal
To let or allow.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of low apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–27

From an Old Norse word lágr meaning "low."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

Low derives from Old Norse lágr, meaning "low." en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 28

From Old English hlōwan, "to low or bellow," from a root meaning "to call."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

The verb low descends from Old English hlōwan through Middle English. en.wiktionary.org
Old English hlōwan means to low or bellow. en.wiktionary.org
The word ultimately derives from a root meaning to call. en.wiktionary.org