low
♦♦♦ low /l'oʊ/ (lower lowest lows)
1 [ADJ]
Something that is low measures only a short distance from the bottom to the top, or from the ground to the top.
...the low garden wall that separated the front garden from next door...
She put it down on the low table...
The Leisure Center is a long and low modern building.
2 [ADJ]
If something is low, it is close to the ground, to sea level, or to the bottom of something.
He bumped his head on the low beams...
It was late afternoon and the sun was low in the sky...
They saw a government war plane make a series of low-level bombing raids.
3 [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ
When a river is low, it contains less water than usual.
...pumps that guarantee a constant depth of water even when the supplying river is low.
≠ high
4 [ADJ]
You can use low to indicate that something is small in amount or that it is at the bottom of a particular scale. You can use phrases such as in the low 80s to indicate that a number or level is less than 85 but not as little as 80.
British casualties remained remarkably low...
They are still having to live on very low incomes...
The temperature's in the low 40s.
≠ high
5 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
Low is used to describe people who are not considered to be very important because they are near the bottom of a particular scale or system.
She refused to promote Colin above the low rank of `legal adviser'.
≠ high
6 [N-COUNT] usu sing, oft N of amount
If something reaches a low of a particular amount or degree, that is the smallest it has ever been.
Eventually my weight stabilised at seven and a half stone after dropping to a low of five and a half stone...
The dollar fell to a new low.
≠ high
7 [ADJ]
If you drive or ride a bicycle in a low gear, you use a gear, usually first or second, which gives you the most control over your car or bicycle when travelling slowly.
She selected a low gear and started down the track carefully.
≠ high
8 [ADJ]
If the quality or standard of something is low, it is very poor.
A school would not accept low-quality work from any student...
...low-grade coal.
= poor
≠ high
9 [ADJ] v-link ADJ in n
If a food or other substance is low in a particular ingredient, it contains only a small amount of that ingredient.
They look for foods that are low in calories.
≠ high
[COMB in ADJ] usu ADJ n
Low is also a combining form.
...low-sodium tomato sauce...
Low-odour paints help make decorating so much easier.
10 [ADJ] ADJ n
If you describe someone such as a student or a worker as a low achiever, you mean that they are not very good at their work, and do not achieve or produce as much as others.
Low achievers in schools will receive priority.
≠ high
11 [ADJ]
If you have a low opinion of someone or something, you disapprove of them or dislike them.
I have an extremely low opinion of the British tabloid newspapers.
≠ high
12 [ADJ]
You can use low to describe negative feelings and attitudes.
We are all very tired and morale is low...
People had very low expectations.
13 [ADJ]
If a sound or noise is low, it is deep.
Then suddenly she gave a low, choking moan and began to tremble violently...
My voice has got so low now I was mistaken for a man the other day on the phone.
= deep
≠ high
14 [ADJ]
If someone's voice is low, it is quiet or soft.
Her voice was so low he had to strain to catch it.
15 [ADJ]
A light that is low is not bright or strong.
Their eyesight is poor in low light.
= dim
16 [ADJ]
If a radio, oven, or light is on low, it has been adjusted so that only a small amount of sound, heat, or light is produced.
She turned her little kitchen radio on low...
Buy a dimmer switch and keep the light on low, or switch it off altogether...
Cook the sauce over a low heat until it boils and thickens.
17 [ADJ] v-link ADJ, usu ADJ on n
If you are low on something or if a supply of it is low, there is not much of it left.
We're a bit low on bed linen...
World stocks of wheat were getting very low.
18 [ADJ]
If you are low, you are depressed. (INFORMAL)
`I didn't ask for this job, you know,' he tells friends when he is low.
= down
19
see also lower
20 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you are lying low, you are hiding or not drawing attention to yourself. (INFORMAL)
Far from lying low, Kuti became more outspoken than ever.
21
to look high and low: see high
low profile: see profile
to be running low: see runlow life
also low-life; lowlife
[N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
People sometimes use low life to refer in a disapproving way to people who are involved in criminal, dishonest, or immoral activities, or to these activities.
...the sort of low-life characters who populate this film.low sea|son
[N-SING] the N
The low season is the time of year when a place receives the fewest visitors, and fares and holiday accommodation are often cheaper. (BRIT; in AM, use off-season)
Prices drop to £315 in the low season.low tide (low tides)
[N-VAR] oft at N
At the coast, low tide is the time when the sea is at its lowest level because the tide is out.
The causeway to the island is only accessible at low tide.
≠ high tidelow wa|ter
[N-UNCOUNT]
Low water is the same as low tide.
1 [ADJ]
Something that is low measures only a short distance from the bottom to the top, or from the ground to the top.
...the low garden wall that separated the front garden from next door...
She put it down on the low table...
The Leisure Center is a long and low modern building.
2 [ADJ]
If something is low, it is close to the ground, to sea level, or to the bottom of something.
He bumped his head on the low beams...
It was late afternoon and the sun was low in the sky...
They saw a government war plane make a series of low-level bombing raids.
3 [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ
When a river is low, it contains less water than usual.
...pumps that guarantee a constant depth of water even when the supplying river is low.
≠ high
4 [ADJ]
You can use low to indicate that something is small in amount or that it is at the bottom of a particular scale. You can use phrases such as in the low 80s to indicate that a number or level is less than 85 but not as little as 80.
British casualties remained remarkably low...
They are still having to live on very low incomes...
The temperature's in the low 40s.
≠ high
5 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
Low is used to describe people who are not considered to be very important because they are near the bottom of a particular scale or system.
She refused to promote Colin above the low rank of `legal adviser'.
≠ high
6 [N-COUNT] usu sing, oft N of amount
If something reaches a low of a particular amount or degree, that is the smallest it has ever been.
Eventually my weight stabilised at seven and a half stone after dropping to a low of five and a half stone...
The dollar fell to a new low.
≠ high
7 [ADJ]
If you drive or ride a bicycle in a low gear, you use a gear, usually first or second, which gives you the most control over your car or bicycle when travelling slowly.
She selected a low gear and started down the track carefully.
≠ high
8 [ADJ]
If the quality or standard of something is low, it is very poor.
A school would not accept low-quality work from any student...
...low-grade coal.
= poor
≠ high
9 [ADJ] v-link ADJ in n
If a food or other substance is low in a particular ingredient, it contains only a small amount of that ingredient.
They look for foods that are low in calories.
≠ high
[COMB in ADJ] usu ADJ n
Low is also a combining form.
...low-sodium tomato sauce...
Low-odour paints help make decorating so much easier.
10 [ADJ] ADJ n
If you describe someone such as a student or a worker as a low achiever, you mean that they are not very good at their work, and do not achieve or produce as much as others.
Low achievers in schools will receive priority.
≠ high
11 [ADJ]
If you have a low opinion of someone or something, you disapprove of them or dislike them.
I have an extremely low opinion of the British tabloid newspapers.
≠ high
12 [ADJ]
You can use low to describe negative feelings and attitudes.
We are all very tired and morale is low...
People had very low expectations.
13 [ADJ]
If a sound or noise is low, it is deep.
Then suddenly she gave a low, choking moan and began to tremble violently...
My voice has got so low now I was mistaken for a man the other day on the phone.
= deep
≠ high
14 [ADJ]
If someone's voice is low, it is quiet or soft.
Her voice was so low he had to strain to catch it.
15 [ADJ]
A light that is low is not bright or strong.
Their eyesight is poor in low light.
= dim
16 [ADJ]
If a radio, oven, or light is on low, it has been adjusted so that only a small amount of sound, heat, or light is produced.
She turned her little kitchen radio on low...
Buy a dimmer switch and keep the light on low, or switch it off altogether...
Cook the sauce over a low heat until it boils and thickens.
17 [ADJ] v-link ADJ, usu ADJ on n
If you are low on something or if a supply of it is low, there is not much of it left.
We're a bit low on bed linen...
World stocks of wheat were getting very low.
18 [ADJ]
If you are low, you are depressed. (INFORMAL)
`I didn't ask for this job, you know,' he tells friends when he is low.
= down
19
see also lower
20 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you are lying low, you are hiding or not drawing attention to yourself. (INFORMAL)
Far from lying low, Kuti became more outspoken than ever.
21
to look high and low: see high
low profile: see profile
to be running low: see runlow life
also low-life; lowlife
[N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
People sometimes use low life to refer in a disapproving way to people who are involved in criminal, dishonest, or immoral activities, or to these activities.
...the sort of low-life characters who populate this film.low sea|son
[N-SING] the N
The low season is the time of year when a place receives the fewest visitors, and fares and holiday accommodation are often cheaper. (BRIT; in AM, use off-season)
Prices drop to £315 in the low season.low tide (low tides)
[N-VAR] oft at N
At the coast, low tide is the time when the sea is at its lowest level because the tide is out.
The causeway to the island is only accessible at low tide.
≠ high tidelow wa|ter
[N-UNCOUNT]
Low water is the same as low tide.