slack

slack1 [ slæk ] adjective

1. ) loose and not pulled tight:

The fence consisted of two slack strands of barbed wire.

The rope suddenly went slack.

Her muscles felt slack.

2. ) not taking enough care to make sure something is done well:

slack safety standards

She'd been brought in to clean up slack working habits among the employees.

3. ) not as busy or successful as usual in business:

Business is usually slack in the winter.

Demand for the product is slack.

╾ slack|ness noun uncount

slack

slack 2 [ slæk ] noun uncount

1. ) the fact that a rope is loose, rather than being held or attached tightly:

There's too much slack in the rope.

2. ) a period of less activity than usual

3. ) people, equipment, or money that could be used more effectively in an organization:

There is still a great deal of slack in the budget.

There's just no slack in the system to cope with any more patients.

cut/give someone some slack INFORMAL

to be less strict with someone:

Cut him a little slack his father just died.

take/pick up the slack

1. ) to improve an organization or system by using people, equipment, and money in a more effective way

2. ) to do the things that someone else is not able or willing to do:

Why should their colleagues have to pick up the slack?

3. ) to pull a rope so that it is no longer loose

slack

slack 3 [ slæk ] verb intransitive

to try to avoid working:

Stop slacking and get back to work.

,slack `off phrasal verb intransitive

to slow down or become less:

The rain seemed to be slacking off.