Meanings
lower1
adjective
verblower (third-person singular simple present lowers, present participle lowering, simple past and past participle lowered)
present singular third person lowers · participle present lowering · participle past lowered · past lowered
- transitiveTo let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down.
to lower a sail of a boat
3 more examples
lower a bucket into a well
1833 (first publication), Alfred Tennyson, A Dream of Fair Women Lower'd softly with a threefold cord of love Down to a silent grave.
At level crossings where there are to be half-barriers, train-operated through track-circuiting, the barriers will be timed to lower fully about five seconds before the fastest train can reach the crossing.
1960 September, “Talking of Trains: New level-crossing signs”, in Trains Illustrated, page 519Synonyms: bring down
- transitiveTo pull down.
to lower a flag
- transitiveTo reduce the height of.
lower a fence or wall
1 more example
lower a chimney or turret
Synonyms: shorten
- transitiveTo depress as to direction.
lower the aim of a gun
- transitiveTo bring down; to humble.
lower one's pride
- intransitiveTo fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease.
The river lowered as rapidly as it rose.
Synonyms: die off
- transitivecomputingTo reduce operations to single machine instructions, as part of compilation of a program.
lower2
verblower (third-person singular simple present lowers, present participle lowering, simple past and past participle lowered)
present singular third person lowers · participle present lowering · participle past lowered · past lowered
- alternativeAlternative spelling of lour.
[...] Juno took her place: / But ſullen Diſcontent ſat lowring on her Face.
1700, [John] Dryden, “Homer’s Ilias”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, book I, page 2152 more examples
Now is the winter of our diſcontent, / Made glorious ſummer by this ſonne of Yorke: / And all the cloudes that lowrd vpon our houſe, / In the deepe boſome of the Ocean buried.
c. 1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedy of King Richard the Third. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Sims [and Peter Short] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]And still when loudliest howls the storm, / And darkliest lowers his native sky, / The king's fierce soul is in that form, / The warrior's spirit threatens nigh!
1846, R[obert] S[tephen] Hawker, “The Wreck”, in Echoes from Old Cornwall, London: Joseph Masters, […], →OCLC, stanza X, page 76
Lower3
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down.
Similar
verbTo reduce the height of.
Similar
verbTo make less elevated.
Similar
verbTo humble oneself; to do something one considers to be beneath one's dignity.
Similar
descendbe humble
verbTo fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease.
Similar
verbTo decrease in value, amount, etc.
Similar
becomeget smaller
antonym(s) of “more low”
Opposite
antonym(s) of “bottom”
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivethe bottom one of two
Opposite
verbmove something or somebody to a lower position
Opposite
verblook angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From low + -er (comparative suffix).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κατώτερος, κάτω
- κατώτερος (katṓteros)more towards the bottom
- κάτω (kátō)more towards the bottom
Arabic أَدْنَى, دُنْيَا
- أَدْنَى (ʔadnā)more towards the bottom
- دُنْيَا (dunyā)more towards the bottom
- أَسْفَل (ʔasfal)more towards the bottom
- سُفْلَى (suflā)more towards the bottom
- أَنْزَلَ (ʔanzala)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
Bulgarian до́лен, по́-до́лен
- до́лен (dólen)more towards the bottom
- по́-до́лен (pó-dólen)more towards the bottom
- спускам (spuskam)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- свалям (svaljam)pull down
- понижавам (ponižavam)reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- свалям (svaljam)reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- унижавам (unižavam)transitive: to humble
- понижавам (ponižavam)reduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- спадам (spadam)to fall, to grow less
Catalan inferior, baixar
- inferiormore towards the bottom
- baixarlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- abaixarlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- abaixarreduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- disminuirreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- baixarreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- baixarreduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- disminuirreduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- reduirreduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- baixarto fall, to grow less
Chinese Mandarin 下的, 降低
- 下的 (xià de)more towards the bottom
- 降低 (jiàngdī)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- 放下 (fàngxià)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- 低下 (dīxià)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
Czech spodní, dolní
- spodnímore towards the bottom
- dolnímore towards the bottom
- spustitlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- snížitreduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
Esperanto malaltigi mallevi, malaltigi
- malaltigi mallevilet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- malaltigipull down
- mallevipull down
- malaltigireduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- malaltigireduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- humilitransitive: to humble
- humiliĝireflexive: to humble oneself
- malaltigireduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- malaltiĝito fall, to grow less
Finnish alempi, laskea
- alempimore towards the bottom
- laskealet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- laskeapull down
- madaltaareduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- laskeadepress as to direction, as a gun
- laskeamake less elevated as to object, as ambitions or hopes
- laskeareduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- alentaareduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- alentaatransitive: to humble
- alentuareflexive: to humble oneself
- alentaareduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- laskeato fall, to grow less
- alentuato fall, to grow less
French inférieur, faire descendre
- inférieurmore towards the bottom
- faire descendrelet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- abaisserlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- amenerlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- abaisserpull down
- baisserpull down
- baisserreduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- abaisserreduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- baisserdepress as to direction, as a gun
- baisserreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- diminuerreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- abaisserreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- s'abaisserreflexive: to humble oneself
German unterer, herunterlassen
- unterermore towards the bottom
- herunterlassenlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
Greek χαμηλώνω, κατεβάζω
- χαμηλώνω (chamilóno)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- κατεβάζω (katevázo)pull down
- χαμηλώνω (chamilóno)reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- κατεβάζω (katevázo)depress as to direction, as a gun
- χαμηλώνω (chamilóno)depress as to direction, as a gun
- χαμηλώνω (chamilóno)reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- κατεβάζω (katevázo)reduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- χαμηλώνω (chamilóno)reduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- χαμηλώνω (chamilóno)to fall, to grow less
- κατεβαίνω (katevaíno)intransitive: to decrease in value
Hebrew תַּחְתּוֹן
- תַּחְתּוֹן (takhtón)more towards the bottom
Hungarian alsó, leenged
- alsómore towards the bottom
- leengedlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- leengedpull down
- ledöntreduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- csökkentreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- leengedreduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
Irish ísligh, ísligh
- íslighlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- íslighpull down
- íslighreduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- íslighdepress as to direction, as a gun
- íslighmake less elevated as to object, as ambitions or hopes
- íslighreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- íslightransitive: to humble
- íslighreflexive: to humble oneself
- íslighreduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- íslighto fall, to grow less
- íslighintransitive: to decrease in value
Italian inferiore, abbassare
- inferioremore towards the bottom
- abbassarelet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- abbassarereduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
Japanese 下の, 下げる
- 下の (shita no)more towards the bottom
- 下げる (sageru)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- 下ろす (orosu)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
Korean 아래의
- 아래의 (arae'ui)more towards the bottom
Latin inferior, discedo
- inferiormore towards the bottom
- discedolet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- dēmittōlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- subsumreduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- subsumreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
Māori whakahaka, whakaheke
- whakahakalet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- whakahekelet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- whakamahurulet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- whakahakapull down
- whakahekepull down
- whakahakareduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
Norwegian Bokmål nedre
- nedremore towards the bottom
Persian کشیدن
- کشیدن (kešidan)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
Polish dolny, opuszczać
- dolnymore towards the bottom
- opuszczaćlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- opuścićlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
Portuguese inferior, abaixar
- inferiormore towards the bottom
- abaixarlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- descerlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- baixarlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- rebaixarreduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- baixarreduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- abaixardepress as to direction, as a gun
- diminuirmake less elevated as to object, as ambitions or hopes
- diminuirreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- abaixarreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- baixarreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- diminuirreduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- reduzirreduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
Romanian mai jos, inferior
- mai josmore towards the bottom
- inferiormore towards the bottom
Russian ни́жний, опуска́ть
- ни́жний (nížnij)more towards the bottom
- опуска́ть (opuskátʹ)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- опусти́ть (opustítʹ)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- спуска́ть (spuskátʹ)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- спусти́ть (spustítʹ)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- снижа́ть (snižátʹ)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- сни́зить (snízitʹ)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- понижа́ть (ponižátʹ)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- пони́зить (ponízitʹ)let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- снижа́ть (snižátʹ)reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- сни́зить (snízitʹ)reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- понижа́ть (ponižátʹ)reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- пони́зить (ponízitʹ)reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
Scottish Gaelic sìolaidh
- sìolaidhlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
Slovak spodný, dolný
- spodnýmore towards the bottom
- dolnýmore towards the bottom
Spanish inferior, de abajo (más)
- inferiormore towards the bottom
- de abajo (más)more towards the bottom
- bajarlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- arriarlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- lascarlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- abajarlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- bajarreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- abajarreduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- botellaTranslations
Swahili kushusha
- kushushalet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
Swedish nedre, vira ned
- nedremore towards the bottom
- vira nedlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- vira nerlet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- sänkalet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- halapull down
- ta nedpull down
- ta nerpull down
- minskamake less elevated as to object, as ambitions or hopes
- sänkareduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature
- sänkareduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- minskareduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- beskärareduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
Turkish aşağı, indirmek
- aşağımore towards the bottom
- indirmeklet (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail
- indirmekpull down
Ukrainian ни́жній
- ни́жній (nýžnij)more towards the bottom
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with lower
powerhourflowertowersewerslowerbauerblowermowerbowerdevourscourLauerrowergoerdowersowercowerglowerlourdougheraflowerbougherenflower
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
lower. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lower
MLA
“lower.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lower. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lower,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lower.
Source: lower on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.