low
A1Neutral (used across all registers from informal to formal)
Definition
Meaning
Of less than average height, depth, or amount; situated not far above the ground or base.
Depressed, inferior in quality or status, not loud, lacking vigour or intensity, unfavourable.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word exhibits extensive polysemy across its adjective, adverb, noun, and verb forms. Its core spatial meaning of 'not high' extends metaphorically to quantity, quality, mood, sound, and status.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. 'Low' as a noun meaning 'a period of low prices or activity' (e.g., 'the lows of the market') is slightly more common in financial AmE. The verb 'to low' (of cattle) is archaic in both but persists in some regional BrE dialects.
Connotations
Largely identical. In both, 'low' can carry negative connotations (low morale, low standards) but is neutral in technical contexts (low pressure, low temperature).
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in both varieties with no significant difference.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
ADJ + on + NP (low on fuel)ADJ + in + NP (low in calories)VERB + low (sink/fall/stay low)ADJ + enough (low enough to...)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “lie low”
- “run low”
- “high and low”
- “low blow”
- “be at a low ebb”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to costs, prices, productivity, demand, or morale (e.g., 'We're operating with low overheads.').
Academic
Used descriptively in sciences (low temperature, low probability) and humanities (low status, low frequency).
Everyday
Ubiquitous for describing height, volume, quantity, mood, battery level, etc.
Technical
Specific thresholds in engineering (low pressure), computing (low latency), medicine (low blood sugar).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The cattle were lowing in the field at dusk.
American English
- (Archaic/Regional) We heard a cow low in the distance.
adverb
British English
- The plane flew low over the village.
- He bowed low before the king.
American English
- The sun sank low in the sky.
- The stock traded low for weeks.
adjective
British English
- He kept a low profile after the scandal.
- The shelf was too low for the large books.
American English
- She was feeling low after hearing the news.
- Gas prices are relatively low this summer.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The table is very low.
- Please speak in a low voice.
- I have a low temperature.
- Her confidence was at an all-time low.
- We're running low on milk.
- He hit a low point in his career.
- The company is suffering from low morale and high turnover.
- The article was written in a style accessible to low-literacy audiences.
- The negotiators adopted a deliberately low-key approach to avoid escalation.
- Such a low-probability, high-impact event is difficult to insure against.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a **LO**ng, **W**ide prairie – it's flat and not high off the ground = LOW.
Conceptual Metaphor
LESS IS DOWN / STATUS IS HEIGHT (e.g., 'He fell low in public estimation.', 'low-ranking official').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse 'low' (низкий) with 'slow' (медленный).
- 'Low voice' is тихий голос (quiet), not *низкий голос (which implies pitch).
- Avoid overusing 'low' for abstract 'poor quality'; consider 'poor', 'bad', or 'substandard'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: '*My phone is on low battery.' Correct: 'My phone battery is low.' / 'My phone has a low battery.'
- Incorrect: '*He spoke in low voice.' Correct: 'He spoke in a low voice.'
- Incorrect: '*I feel myself low.' Correct: 'I feel low.'
Practice
Quiz
In the idiom 'to lie low', what does 'low' primarily imply?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While often negative (low standards, low spirits), it is neutral or positive in contexts like 'low pressure' (relaxing), 'low calories' (dietary), or 'low profile' (prudent).
'Low' typically describes vertical position relative to a ground or standard ('low shelf', 'low flying plane'). 'Short' describes limited height or length as an inherent property ('short man', 'short rope'). A building can be short (not tall) and have low windows (near the ground).
Yes, commonly to mean a low point, level, or figure (e.g., 'The temperature reached a new low.', 'Share prices have hit a low.').
Common patterns: 'low on' + resource (low on sugar), 'low in' + attribute (low in fat), 'low for' + time/standard (low for this time of year), 'low among' + group (low among peers).
Collections
Part of a collection
Basic Adjectives
A1 · 46 words · Fundamental describing words used every day.