slack

Universal Words adjective, noun, verb adjective (slacker, slackest) 1 not stretched tight: She was staring into space, her mouth slack. * The rope suddenly went slack. * slack muscles 2 (of business) not having many customers or sales; not busy: a slack period * Wednesdays are always slack. * slack demand for beef 3 (disapproving) (of a person) not putting enough care, attention or energy into sth and so not doing it well enough: He's been very slack in his work lately. * Discipline in the classroom is very slack. * We lost because of some slack defending on our part. slackly adverb: Her arms hung slackly by her sides. slackness noun [U] noun [U]-see also SLACKS 1 the part of a rope, etc. that is hanging loosely: There's too much slack in the tow rope. 2 people, money or space that is not being used fully in an organization: There's very little slack in the budget. 3 very small pieces of coal IDIOMS take up the slack 1 to improve the way money or people are used in an organization 2 to pull on a rope, etc. until it is tight: We took up the slack and then pulled as hard as we could. verb [V] to work less hard than you usually do or should do PHRASALVERBS slack off (on sth) to do sth more slowly or with less energy than before: He's gone from success to success in his movie career, and there's no sign of him slacking off.