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Added 9 October 2026

slack

/slæk/ noun

In Latin: laxus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about slack at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Dust consisting of a mixture of small coal fragments and coal dust and dirt that sifts out when coal is passed over a sieve.
A noticeable deterioration in performance or quality.
the team went into a slump
A stretch of water without current or movement.
suddenly they were in a slack and the water was motionless

verb

Avoid responsibilities and work, be idle.
Be inattentive to, or neglect.
He slacks his attention
Release tension on.
slack the rope

adjective

Not tense or taut.
the old man's skin hung loose and grey
Flowing with little speed as e.g. at the turning of the tide.
slack water
Lacking in rigor or strictness.
such lax and slipshod ways are no longer acceptable

Origin

From Middle English slak, from Old English slæc (“slack”), from Proto-Germanic *slakaz. For sense of coal dust, compare slag.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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