Meanings
slowth1
- alternativearchaicuncountableAlternative form of sloth (“slowness, slothfulness”).
October 15, 1777, George Washington, to Governor George Clinton […] but such was the reduced state of our Continental regiments, after the battle of Brandywine, and such the slowth and difficulty of procuring reinforcements of militia from the southward, […] (1890 edition)
1 more example
December 14, 1813, Thomas Jefferson, letter to Alexis Marie Rochon […] are so many and great, that it is wonderful to me, that in a course of 30 years, it is not yet brought into general use. it is one of the remarkable proofs of the slowth with which improvements in the arts & sciences advance.
slowth2
- uncountableSlow economic growth.
Slowth lies behind the difficulties each of us faces in achieving the standard of living we desire.
1980, Martin Kupferman, Maurice D. Levi, Slowth, the changing economy and how you can successfully cope2 more examples
Unfortunately, with slowth it becomes progressively more difficult to escape from the rigours of scarcity
1984, George Lermer, Thomas J. Courchene, Probing leviathan: an investigation of government in the economyit is realized that the slowth context is making that activity less than might be considered desirable.
1985, Lee H. Radebaugh, Earl H. Fry, David M. Kennedy, Canada/U.S. trade relations: problems and prospects
slowth3
- uncountableThe state or condition of being slow; slowness.
The slowth may have been caused by various software issues rather than anything to do with hardware.
2006, CPU speed: new computer necessary?2 more examples
Good old-fashioned slowth is being looked at with new interest, as is exemplified by such old antiques as the old Douglas Skyraider. And, of course the helicopter, slowest of all, so slow you can easily make one go backwards.
1966, Flying MagazineThe tempo of the introduction, which Mahler has marked to be slow and dragging, is of the utmost "slowth" (if I may use such a word to denote the creepy, crawling atmosphere thus created).
1983, High fidelity Musical America
Origin
slowth · noun
- Proto-Germanic*slaiwiþō“slowness, lateness”
- Old Englishslǣwþ“sloth, indolence, laziness, inertness, torpor”
- Middle Englishslouthe
- Englishslowth
From Middle English slouthe, slewthe, from Old English slǣwþ (“sloth, indolence, laziness, inertness, torpor”), from Proto-Germanic *slaiwiþō (“slowness, lateness”), equivalent to slow + -th. Cognate with Scots sleuth (“sloth, slowness”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →slowth · noun
Recoinage from slow + -th (abstract nominal suffix).
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with slowth
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
slowth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slowth
“slowth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slowth. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “slowth,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slowth.
Source: slowth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.