low

low1 [ lou ] adjective ***

▸ 1 small in height

▸ 2 small in amount

▸ 3 unhappy, lacking energy

▸ 4 voice/sound: quiet/deep

▸ 5 unfair/dishonest

▸ 6 about clothes

1. ) small in height or smaller than the usual height:

a low wall/bridge/building

a ) not far above the ground:

The plane was very low.

low clouds

b ) used about the level of water in a river or the ocean:

The tide is low.

─ opposite HIGH

2. ) small in amount or level:

people on low incomes

The bigger stores are able to keep their prices low.

low unemployment

Cook it for five minutes on a low heat.

in the low 20s/30s etc. (=between 20 and 25): Temperatures are usually around the low 30s at this time of year.

─ opposite HIGH

a ) used about foods that contain a smaller amount of a substance than usual:

yogurt with a low fat content

low in: Vegetables are low in fat and calories and high in nutrition.

low-fat: low-fat cheese

─ opposite HIGH

b ) used about supplies of things when a lot has been used:

Stocks were so low that many of the shelves in the store were empty.

run/get low (on something): A message appears on the screen when you're running low on disk space.

c ) used about equipment that is not producing much energy, or has not got much energy left:

There was music on and the lights were low.

run/get low: Most phones tell you when the battery is running low.

d ) used about the quality or standard of something:

The standard of housing in some areas is very low.

─ opposite HIGH

e ) used about the importance or status of something:

Doing the garden is fairly low on my list of priorities.

low-priority (=much less important than other things): Food will not be sent to low-priority areas until next week.

─ opposite HIGH

3. ) someone who is low feels unhappy and does not have much hope or confidence:

low spirits: It was unlike her to be in such low spirits.

a ) used about someone who does not have much energy:

It's the kind of illness that leaves you feeling low for a few days.

b ) used about someone's negative attitude:

Sandra's problem is she has really low expectations.

Morale is really low in the office.

He has a very low opinion of his colleagues (=thinks they are not very good).

─ opposite HIGH

4. ) a low voice or sound is quiet and difficult to hear

a ) used for describing a deep voice or a sound that has a long WAVELENGTH:

She finds it difficult to reach the low notes.

─ opposite HIGH

5. ) unfair or dishonest:

That was a low trick.

6. ) a piece of clothing that is low shows your neck and a lot of your chest

╾ low|ness noun uncount

low

low 2 [ lou ] adverb **

1. ) in or to a low position:

The airplane seemed to be flying very low.

2. ) quietly:

I asked them to turn the volume down low.

a ) in a deep voice or with a similar sound:

The bass guitar tends to play lower than the rest of the band.

She can sing high or low.

stoop/sink so low

to do something very unfair or dishonest:

Just how low is the party prepared to stoop in order to win votes?

─ opposite HIGH

=> HIGH 2, LAY1, LIE1

low

low 3 [ lou ] noun count

1. ) BUSINESS the lowest level, value, or price:

fall/plunge to a new low: The euro fell to a new low against the dollar yesterday.

a record/all-time low (=worse than ever before): Share prices hit an all-time low.

a ) used about temperatures:

Overnight lows will be around 5 degrees Celsius.

2. ) a bad time in your life:

highs and lows (=good times and bad times): He's experienced all the highs and lows of an actor's life.

an all-time low (=the worst time): The game was one of the all-time lows in the team's history.

3. ) an area of low air pressure: DEPRESSION

the lowest of the low BRITISH HUMOROUS

someone from the lowest social class

─ opposite HIGH

low

low 4 [ lou ] verb intransitive LITERARY

when cows low, they make their typical deep long sound