Word of the Day: Slack
The word “slack” has a few different meanings. In the first set of examples, a person who slacks (off), takes it easy or does a minimal amount of work.
- David is slacking off at work.
- He’s kind of a slacker. (slacker = a person who avoids work)
- Employees who slack off at work may eventually get fired.
- Don’t be a slacker.
The word “slack” is also used as a noun when reducing the amount of tension in tightly pulled wire, string, or rope.
- Give me some slack.
- I need more slack.
- There’s too much slack on this rope.
- The chain on this chainsaw needs a little more slack; otherwise, the chainsaw is going to burn out.
As a noun, “slack” also refers to an amount of personal space or tolerance of particular human behavior.
- I can’t be perfect. You’ve got to give me some slack.
- Can’t you give me a little more slack?
- The teacher decided to be less strict and gave the students more slack.
- If you give him too much slack, he’s going to misbehave.
- The managers at the company gave their employees a little more slack to get their work completed after a deadline had passed.
The word “slacks” is a plural noun that refers to a pair of pants.
- She wears slacks to work.
- The uniform consists of black slacks and a white shirt.
- These slacks need to be ironed.
- You have to keep slacks on a hanger in order to maintain the crease in the pants. (crease = the raised center of the pants which creates a neat appearance)
Note: Slack is also a technology company that make collaboration within and among companies easier.
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with S page to see the list of all words starting with letter S. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
