MEANING
To become or make less tight, fast, strong, or active.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- slacken the rope
- pace slackens
On the page
Their pace slackened as the trail grew steeper.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- slacken
- Past tense
- slackened
- Past participle
- slackened
- Present participle
- slackening
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- slacken
- Present continuous
- am/is/are slackening
- Present perfect
- have/has slackened
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been slackening
- Past
- slackened
- Past continuous
- was/were slackening
- Past perfect
- had slackened
- Past perfect continuous
- had been slackening
- Future
- will slacken
- Future continuous
- will be slackening
- Future perfect
- will have slackened
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been slackening
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: slacken; slackens; slackened; slackened; slackening Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: slackens.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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