Low — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb adverb /ˈlō/

Meaning & Definition of Low

Low (adjective)

  1. having a small upward extension or elevation
  2. situated or passing little above a reference line, point, or plane
  3. having a low-cut neckline

Low (noun)

  1. something that is low
  2. depth
  3. a region of low barometric pressure
  4. the deep sustained sound characteristic especially of a cow
  5. flame, blaze

Low (verb)

  1. moo
  2. flame, blaze

Low (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being near the equator

    "we took a cruise to the low northern latitudes"

    similar: equatorial, tropical
    related: semitropical, subtropical
    opposite: polar
    near: temperate

  2. belonging to or characteristic of an early level of skill or development

    "once considered the latest thing, electric typewriters now look like low technology indeed"

    similar: crude, primitive, rude, rudimentary
    related: basic, simple, uncomplicated, homely, homespun, unsophisticated, early, embryonic, primeval, primordial, backward, underdeveloped, undeveloped, aged, ancient, antediluvian, antiquated, antique, dated, fusty, hoary, musty, obsolete, old, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, out-of-date, outworn, passé, past, quaint, unmodernized
    opposite: advanced, developed, evolved, high, higher, late
    near: complex, complicated, intricate, involved, sophisticated, full-blown, grown, mature, matured, perfected, ripe, ripened, civilized, cultivated, enlightened, refined, contemporary, current, latest, mod, modern, modernistic, new, newfangled, new-fashioned, novel, now, present-day, space-age, state-of-the-art, supermodern, ultramodern, up-to-date

  3. belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank

    "people, both high and low, have been worshipping in this cathedral for centuries"

    similar: baseborn, common, humble, ignoble, inferior, low-life, lowborn, lower-class, lowly, lumpen, mean, plebeian, prole, proletarian, unwashed, vulgar
    related: bourgeois, middle-class, plain, poor, simple, working-class, déclassé, down-market, downscale
    opposite: aristocratic, blue-blooded, genteel, gentle, grand, great, high, highborn, highbred, lofty, noble, patrician, upper-class, upper-crust, wellborn
    near: eminent, illustrious, notable, prominent

  4. feeling unhappiness

    "I was feeling low, and wanted to do something exciting to cheer myself up"

    similar: bad, blue, brokenhearted, cast down, crestfallen, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, doleful, down, down in the mouth, downcast, downhearted, droopy, forlorn, gloomy, glum, hangdog, heartbroken, heartsick, heartsore, heavyhearted, inconsolable, joyless, low-spirited, melancholic, melancholy, miserable, mournful, sad, saddened, sorrowful, sorry, unhappy, woebegone, woeful, wretched
    related: aggrieved, distressed, troubled, uneasy, unquiet, upset, worried, despairing, hopeless, sunk, disappointed, discouraged, disheartened, dispirited, suicidal, dolorous, lachrymose, lugubrious, plaintive, tearful, regretful, rueful, agonized, anguished, grieving, wailing, weeping, black, bleak, cheerless, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, desolate, dismal, drear, dreary, elegiac, funereal, gray, morbid, morose, murky, saturnine, somber, sullen
    opposite: blissful, buoyant, buoyed, cheerful, cheery, chipper, delighted, glad, gladdened, gladsome, gleeful, happy, joyful, joyous, jubilant, sunny, upbeat
    near: ecstatic, elated, enraptured, entranced, euphoric, exhilarated, exuberant, exultant, overjoyed, rapturous, rhapsodic, blithe, blithesome, jocose, jocular, jocund, jolly, jovial, lightsome, merry, mirthful, excited, thrilled, hopeful, optimistic, rosy, sanguine, encouraged, heartened, animated, bouncing, energetic, frisky, jaunty, lively, peppy, perky, spirited, sprightful, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy, content, gratified, pleased, satisfied, beaming, grinning, laughing, smiling, boon, carefree, careless, cavalier, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, lighthearted, unconcerned

  5. having a low musical pitch or range

    "the tuba's low notes made the floor vibrate"

    similar: bass, deep, grave, throaty
    related: boomy, tubby, gruff, hoarse, husky, rough, smoky
    opposite: acute, high, high-pitched, piping, sharp, shrill, treble
    near: squeaking, squeaky, squealing, thin, earsplitting, penetrating, piercing, strident, peeping, tinny

  6. having relatively little height

    "the low hedge surrounding the garden wasn't meant to keep anything out, just to look pretty"

    similar: little, low-lying, low-slung, sawed-off, short
    related: dwarf, dwarfish, compact, petite, slight, diminutive, half-pint, pint-size, pocket, pocket-size, pygmy, small, smallish, bantam, bitty, dinky, mini, miniature, minimized, minute, puny, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, undersized, wee, dumpy, flat, scrubby, squat, squatty, stubby, stumpy, stunted
    opposite: altitudinous, high, lofty, tall, towering
    near: elevated, lifted, raised, uplifted, upswept, high-rise, statuesque, gangling, gangly, lanky, rangy, big, bulky, hefty, hulking, large, largish, outsize, oversize, sizable, voluminous

  7. lacking bodily strength

    "the weeklong bout of chicken pox laid her low"

    similar: asthenic, debilitated, delicate, down-and-out, effete, enervated, enfeebled, faint, feeble, frail, infirm, languid, prostrate, prostrated, sapped, slight, soft, softened, tender, unsubstantial, wasted, weak, weakened, wimpish, wimpy
    related: disabled, incapacitated, invalid, paralyzed, broken-down, decrepit, impotent, powerless, breakable, flimsy, fragile, dizzy, groggy, rocky, unsteady, woozy, drained, exhausted, flagging, tired, weary, worn-out, damaged, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, unsound, resistless, susceptible, unresistant, vulnerable, yielding
    opposite: mighty, powerful, rugged, stalwart, stout, strong
    near: able-bodied, athletic, beefy, brawny, fit, husky, muscular, sinewy, strapping, virile, hard, hardy, lusty, red-blooded, robust, sturdy, tough, fortified, hardened, inured, strengthened, toughened, energetic, energized, invigorated, vigorous, vitalized, hale, healthy, sound, capable, competent, convalescing, recovering, recuperating

  8. lacking in refinement or good taste

    "jokes about toilets are generally considered low humor"

    similar: coarse, common, crass, crude, gross, ill-bred, illiberal (archaic), incult, insensible, lowbred, lowbrow, raffish, rough, rough-hewn, roughneck, rude, rugged, tasteless, uncouth, uncultivated, uncultured, unpolished, unrefined, vulgar
    related: boorish, churlish, cloddish, clownish, loutish, ungentlemanly, clumsy, lubberly, lumpish, oafish, inconsiderate, indelicate, insensitive, thoughtless, countrified, provincial, rustic, unsophisticated, graceless, inelegant, tacky, animallike, barbaric, barbarous, uncivilized, mannerless, unmannered, unmannerly
    opposite: civilized, cultivated, cultured, genteel, polished, refined, smooth, tasteful, ultrarefined, well-bred
    near: aristocratic, courtly, patrician, elegant, graceful, restrained, considerate, gracious, sensitive, thoughtful, citified, sophisticated, urbane

  9. not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency

    "low tactics of that sort will not be tolerated on this hockey team"

    similar: base, contemptible, currish, despicable, detestable, dirty, dishonorable, execrable, ignoble, ignominious, low-down, low-minded, mean, nasty, paltry, snide, sordid, vile, wretched
    related: bad, evil, foul, immoral, iniquitous, miscreant, wicked, wrong, cruel, vicious, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, reprehensible, corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, perverted, atrocious, villainous, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, discreditable, disgraceful, disreputable, shameful, unworthy
    opposite: high, high-minded, honorable, lofty, noble, straight, upright, venerable, virtuous
    near: ethical, honest, just, principled, righteous, right-minded, scrupulous, commendable, excellent, exemplary, good, moral, right, decent, proper, reputable, respectable, seemly, blameless, guiltless, incorruptible, irreproachable, uncorrupted, unerring

  10. not loud in pitch or volume

    "murmured her answer in a low voice"

    similar: dull, gentle, quiet, soft
    related: dead, silent, still, calm, dreamy, hushed, peaceful, restful, serene, soothing, stilly, tranquil, muffled, muted, softened, toned (down)
    opposite: blaring, blasting, booming, clamorous, clangorous, deafening, earsplitting, loud, overloud, piercing, plangent, resounding, ringing, roaring, sonorous, stentorian, thundering, thunderous
    near: brazen, crashing, dinning, discordant, noisy, obstreperous, raucous, rip-roaring, vociferous, grating, harsh, shrill, squealing, strident, clarion, clear, trumpetlike

  11. costing little

    "gas is low right now, but prices will inevitably rise this summer, when people start driving more"

    similar: affordable, bargain-basement, budget, cheap, cheapie, cheapo, chintzy, cut-price (chiefly British), cut-rate, dime-store, dirt cheap, el cheapo, inexpensive, low-end, popular, reasonable
    related: cheapish, moderate, discount, discounted, fire-sale, lowered, reduced, wholesale, valueless, worthless, supercheap, ultracheap
    opposite: costly, dear, deluxe, expensive, high, high-ticket, precious, premium, pricey, spendy (chiefly Northwest), valuable
    near: increased, inflated, exorbitant, extravagant, overpriced, prohibitive, prohibitory, steep, stiff, superexpensive, ultraexpensive, unreasonable, invaluable, priceless, luxurious

  12. of, relating to, or located at the bottom

    "currently enjoys a low standing in the polls"

    similar: bottom, bottommost, lowermost, nethermost, rock-bottom, undermost
    related: below, lower, low-grade, lowly, nether, under, lowered, low-lying, sunken
    opposite: highest, loftiest, top, topmost, upmost, uppermost
    near: higher, loftier, upper, elevated, escalated, heightened, jacked (up), lifted, raised, uplifted, upraised

  13. not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need

    "levels for school volunteers remain low, at least compared to what was expected"

    similar: deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, scarce, short, shy, wanting
    related: substandard, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, hand-to-mouth, lean, light, meager, poor, scant, scanty, skimp, skimpy, slender, slim, spare, sparse, stingy, bare, mere, minimum, slight, small
    opposite: adequate, enough, sufficient
    near: abundant, ample, bounteous, bountiful, copious, generous, liberal, plenteous, plentiful, plenitudinous, enlarged, expanded, supplemented, abounding, overflowing, teeming, satisfactory, tolerable, lavish, luxuriant, rich, big, considerable, hefty, jumbo, king-size, large, largish, oversize, sizable, substantial, super

  14. no longer living

    "thousands of the elderly were laid low by the deadly strain of flu"

    similar: asleep, breathless, cold, dead, deceased, defunct, demised, departed, fallen, gone, late, lifeless, bitten the dust
    related: extinct, dying, fading, moribund, stillborn, finished, lapsed, terminated, inanimate, insensate, nonliving
    opposite: alive, animate, breathing, going, live, living, quick
    near: animated, dynamic, lively, thriving, vibrant, vital, vivacious, active, functioning, operative, running

Low (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in squeal, howl

    similar: bark, bay, bellow, blat, bleat, bray, cackle, calling, caterwaul, caw, cheep, chirp, cluck, coo, crake, croak, crow, grunt, honk, hoot, howl, meow, mew, moo, neigh, oink, peep, quack, roar, screech, squall, squawk, squeak, squeal, trumpet, tu-whit tu-whoo, twitter, whinny, yap, yelp, yip, yowl, call, cry, note

Low (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in down, over

    similar: below, down, downward, over, downgrade, downhill, downstairs, facedown
    opposite: up, upward, upwardly, aloft

Related Entry: Low-down (adjective)

Low-down is a different word from Low. The synonyms below are for low-down, not for low.

  1. not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency

    "of all the low-down tricks that have ever been played in the history of that game"

    similar: base, contemptible, currish, despicable, detestable, dirty, dishonorable, execrable, ignoble, ignominious, low, low-minded, mean, nasty, paltry, snide, sordid, vile, wretched
    related: bad, evil, foul, immoral, iniquitous, miscreant, wicked, wrong, cruel, vicious, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, reprehensible, corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, perverted, atrocious, villainous, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, discreditable, disgraceful, disreputable, shameful, unworthy
    opposite: high, high-minded, honorable, lofty, noble, straight, upright, venerable, virtuous
    near: ethical, honest, just, principled, righteous, right-minded, scrupulous, commendable, excellent, exemplary, good, moral, right, decent, proper, reputable, respectable, seemly, blameless, guiltless, incorruptible, irreproachable, uncorrupted, unerring

Related Entry: Low-end (adjective)

Low-end is a different word from Low. The synonyms below are for low-end, not for low.

  1. costing little

    "a low-end stereo system that's good enough for casual listening"

    similar: affordable, bargain-basement, budget, cheap, cheapie, cheapo, chintzy, cut-price (chiefly British), cut-rate, dime-store, dirt cheap, el cheapo, inexpensive, low, popular, reasonable
    related: cheapish, moderate, discount, discounted, fire-sale, lowered, reduced, wholesale, valueless, worthless, supercheap, ultracheap
    opposite: costly, dear, deluxe, expensive, high, high-ticket, precious, premium, pricey, spendy (chiefly Northwest), valuable
    near: increased, inflated, exorbitant, extravagant, overpriced, prohibitive, prohibitory, steep, stiff, superexpensive, ultraexpensive, unreasonable, invaluable, priceless, luxurious

Related Entry: Low-grade (adjective)

Low-grade is a different word from Low. The synonyms below are for low-grade, not for low.

  1. of low quality

    "plumbing fixtures that were made out of low-grade materials"

    similar: bad, bargain-basement, bum, cheap, cheapjack, cheesy, coarse, common, crappy (slang), cut-rate, el cheapo, execrable, gimcrack, inferior, junky, lousy, low-rent, mediocre, miserable, poor, rotten, rubbishy, schlock, second-rate, shoddy, sleazy, terrible, trashy, trumpery, wretched
    related: useless, valueless, worthless, indifferent, lackluster, second-class, brummagem, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, kitsch, kitschy, meretricious, ostentatious, showy, splashy, swank, tawdry, seedy, shabby, tacky, counterfeit, fake, phony, sham, supercheap, ultracheap
    opposite: excellent, fine, first-class, first-rate, good, high-grade, superior, top-notch
    near: elegant, handsome, tasteful, handcrafted, polished, refined

Related Entry: Low-key (adjective)

Low-key is a different word from Low. The synonyms below are for low-key, not for low.

  1. not excessively showy

    "hoping to make a good impression, he deliberately chose a low-key tie with a subtle pattern"

    similar: conservative, muted, quiet, repressed, restrained, sober, subdued, toned-down, understated, unflashy, unpretentious
    related: appropriate, becoming, fit, fitting, proper, suitable, modest, plain, simple, unadorned, undecorated, inconspicuous, unnoticeable, unobtrusive, graceful, handsome, refined, tasteful, drab, mousy, practical, sensible
    opposite: flamboyant, flaring, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, loud, noisy, ostentatious, razzle-dazzle, splashy, swank
    near: meretricious, graceless, inelegant, tacky, tasteless, tawdry, trashy, vulgar, baroque, fancy, frilly, gilded, ornate, rococo, overdecorated, overdone, overwrought

Related Entry: Low-life (adjective)

Low-life is a different word from Low. The synonyms below are for low-life, not for low.

  1. belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank

    "photographs of the low-life residents of postwar Paris"

    similar: baseborn, common, humble, ignoble, inferior, low, lowborn, lower-class, lowly, lumpen, mean, plebeian, prole, proletarian, unwashed, vulgar
    related: bourgeois, middle-class, plain, poor, simple, working-class, déclassé, down-market, downscale
    opposite: aristocratic, blue-blooded, genteel, gentle, grand, great, high, highborn, highbred, lofty, noble, patrician, upper-class, upper-crust, wellborn
    near: eminent, illustrious, notable, prominent

Related Entry: Low-lying (adjective)

Low-lying is a different word from Low. The synonyms below are for low-lying, not for low.

  1. having relatively little height

    "the low-lying hills blocked our view of the sea only a little bit"

    similar: little, low, low-slung, sawed-off, short
    related: dwarf, dwarfish, compact, petite, slight, diminutive, half-pint, pint-size, pocket, pocket-size, pygmy, small, smallish, bantam, bitty, dinky, mini, miniature, minimized, minute, puny, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, undersized, wee, dumpy, flat, scrubby, squat, squatty, stubby, stumpy, stunted
    opposite: altitudinous, high, lofty, tall, towering
    near: elevated, lifted, raised, uplifted, upswept, high-rise, statuesque, gangling, gangly, lanky, rangy, big, bulky, hefty, hulking, large, largish, outsize, oversize, sizable, voluminous

Related Entry: Low-minded (adjective)

Low-minded is a different word from Low. The synonyms below are for low-minded, not for low.

  1. not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency

    "even by the standards of our times, that was low-minded, gutter politics"

    similar: base, contemptible, currish, despicable, detestable, dirty, dishonorable, execrable, ignoble, ignominious, low, low-down, mean, nasty, paltry, snide, sordid, vile, wretched
    related: bad, evil, foul, immoral, iniquitous, miscreant, wicked, wrong, cruel, vicious, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, reprehensible, corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, perverted, atrocious, villainous, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, discreditable, disgraceful, disreputable, shameful, unworthy
    opposite: high, high-minded, honorable, lofty, noble, straight, upright, venerable, virtuous
    near: ethical, honest, just, principled, righteous, right-minded, scrupulous, commendable, excellent, exemplary, good, moral, right, decent, proper, reputable, respectable, seemly, blameless, guiltless, incorruptible, irreproachable, uncorrupted, unerring

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Low

The most common words with a similar meaning to Low:

Archaic: illiberal
Chiefly British: cut-price
equatorial, tropical, crude, primitive, rude, rudimentary, baseborn, common, humble, ignoble, inferior, low-life, lowborn, lower-class, lowly, lumpen, mean, plebeian, prole, proletarian, unwashed, vulgar, bad, blue, brokenhearted, cast down, crestfallen, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, doleful, down, down in the mouth, downcast, downhearted, droopy, forlorn, gloomy, glum

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Low

Words with the opposite meaning of Low:

polar, advanced, developed, evolved, high, higher, late, aristocratic, blue-blooded, genteel, gentle, grand, great, highborn, highbred, lofty, noble, patrician, upper-class, upper-crust, wellborn, blissful, buoyant, buoyed, cheerful, cheery, chipper, delighted, glad, gladdened

Related Words for Low

semitropical, subtropical, basic, simple, uncomplicated, homely, homespun, unsophisticated, early, embryonic, primeval, primordial, backward, underdeveloped, undeveloped, aged, ancient, antediluvian, antiquated, antique, dated, fusty, hoary, musty, obsolete, old, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, out-of-date

Near Antonyms of Low

temperate, complex, complicated, intricate, involved, sophisticated, full-blown, grown, mature, matured, perfected, ripe, ripened, enlightened, contemporary, current, latest, mod, modern, modernistic, new, newfangled, new-fashioned, novel, now, present-day, space-age, state-of-the-art, supermodern, ultramodern

Word Forms of Low

Inflections: lower, lowest, lowed, lowing, lows

Derived words: low (adverb), lowness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Low

Middle English lah, low, from Old Norse lāgr; akin to Middle High German læge low, flat; probably akin to Old English licgan to lie

First known use: 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Low

Words & Phrases Containing Low

low beam, low blood pressure, low blow

Frequently Asked Questions about Low

What does "Low" mean?

"Low" means having a small upward extension or elevation. As an an adjective, a noun, a verb and an adverb, it is defined as: having a small upward extension or elevation. It has 16 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Low"?

Other words for "Low" include equatorial, tropical, crude, primitive, rude, rudimentary, baseborn and common. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Low" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Low"?

There are 507 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Low". Common alternatives include equatorial, tropical, crude, primitive, rude, rudimentary, baseborn, common, humble and ignoble.

What is the opposite of "Low"?

Antonyms of "Low" include polar, advanced, developed, evolved, high, higher, late and aristocratic. Near antonyms include temperate, complex, complicated and intricate.

How do you use "Low" in a sentence?

Examples of "Low" in a sentence: "we took a cruise to the low northern latitudes"; "once considered the latest thing, electric typewriters now look like low technology indeed"; "people, both high and low, have been worshipping in this cathedral for centuries".

Is "Low" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Low" can be used as an adjective, a noun, a verb and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Low" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Low" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Low"?

"Low" is pronounced /ˈlō/.