Dictionary Definition
lower adj
1 (usually preceded by `no') lower in esteem; "no
less a person than the king himself" [syn: less]
2 inferior in rank or status; "the junior
faculty"; "a lowly corporal"; "petty officialdom"; "a subordinate
functionary" [syn: junior-grade,
inferior, lower-ranking,
lowly, petty(a), secondary, subaltern, subordinate]
3 the bottom one of two; "he chose the lower
number"
4 of the underworld; "nether regions" [syn:
chthonian, chthonic, nether] n : the lower of two
berths [syn: lower
berth]
Verb
1 move something or somebody to a lower position;
"take down the vase from the shelf" [syn: take down,
let
down, get down,
bring
down] [ant: raise]
2 set lower; "lower a rating"; "lower
expectations" [syn: lour]
3 cause to drop or sink; "The lack of rain had
depressed the water level in the reservoir" [syn: depress]
5 look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead,
as if to signal disapproval [syn: frown, glower, lour]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- (comparative of "low"; let descend by its own weight, etc):
- (UK): /ˈləʊə/, /"l@U@/
- (US): /ˈloʊɚ/, /"loU@`/
- Rhymes with: -əʊə(r)
- (lour):
- (UK): /ˈlaʊə/, /"laU@/
- (US): /ˈlaʊɚ/, /"laU@`/
Adjective
lowerTranslations
comparative of low
- Czech: nižší
* Czech: dolní
Etymology 2
lowren, luren; See Dutch loeren, Late German luren. German lauern "to lurk", "to be on the watch", and English leer, lurk.Verb
- To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to
let down; as, to lower a bucket into a well; to lower a sail or a
boat; sometimes, to pull down; as, to lower a flag.
- Lowered softly with a threefold cord of love Down to a silent grave. Tennyson.
- To reduce the height of; as, to lower a fence or wall; to lower a chimney or turret.
- To depress as to direction; as, to lower the aim of a gun.
- To make less elevated as to object; as, to lower one's ambition, aspirations, or hopes.
- To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of; as, to lower the temperature of anything; to lower one's vitality; to lower distilled liquors.
- To bring down; to humble; as, to lower one's pride.
- (lower oneself) To humble oneself; to do something one considers to be beneath one's dignity.
- To reduce (something) in value, amount, etc.; as, to lower the price of goods, the rate of interest, etc.
- To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease; as, the river lowered as rapidly as it rose.
- To decrease in value, amount, etc.
Synonyms
- (let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail): bring down
- (reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney): shorten
- (depress as to direction, as a gun):
- (make less elevated as to object, as ambitions or hopes): reduce
- (reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature): reduce, turn down
- (transitive: to humble):
- (reflexive: to humble oneself): be humble
- (reduce (something) in value, amount, etc): cut, reduce
- (intransitive: grow less): die off, drop, fall, fall off, shrink
- (intransitive: decrease in value): become/get smaller, become/get lower, lessen, reduce
Translations
let (something) descend by its own weight, such
as a bucket or sail
reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney
- Czech: snížit
- French: baisser, abaisser
depress as to direction, as a gun
- French: baisser
make less elevated as to object, as ambitions or
hopes
reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc.,
of, as temperature
- French: baisser, diminuer
transitive: to humble
reflexive: to humble oneself
- French: s'abaisser
reduce (something) in value, amount, etc.
- French: baisser, abaisser, diminuer, réduire
to fall, to grow less
- French: baisser, diminuer, réduire
intransitive: to decrease in value
- French: baisser
Extensive Definition
Lower may refer to:
- Lower Township, New Jersey
- Lower Receiver (firearms)
- Lower Wick Gloucestershire, England
People
- Robert A. Lower, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
abase,
abash, abated, ablated, abridge, apprehend, approach, attenuated, await, bated, be imminent, be in store,
bear down, beat down, belittle, belittled, bludgeon, bode, bore, break, brew, bring down, bring low,
bulldoze, bump, burrow, bust, cast down, cave, cave in, cheapen, clip, color, come on, comminate, common, compress, condescend, confront, consumed, contracted, couch, countersink, croak, crop, crush, curtail, curtailed, cut, cut back, cut down, cut off,
cut prices, damp, dampen, dampen the spirits,
darken, darkle, dash, de-escalate, debase, decline, decrease, decreased, decry, deduct, deepen, deflate, deflated, degrade, deign, deject, delve, demean, demeaning, demit, demote, denounce, deplume, depreciate, depress, descend, detrude, devaluate, devalue, dig, dig out, dike, dim, diminish, diminished, disadvantaged, discount, discourage, discredit, disgrace, disgrade, dishearten, dispirit, displume, dissipated, dive, down, downbear, downgrade, draw near, draw
nigh, draw on, dredge,
drill, drive, droop, drop, dropped, dump, dump on, dusk, earlier, eroded, excavate, face, fall, fall in price, fallen, flop, flop down, flump, flump down, flush, forebode, forewarn, forthcome, founder, frown, furrow, gather, give way, glare, gloam, gloom, gloominess, glower, gnarl, go down, gouge, gouge out, grimace, groove, grow dark, grow dim,
growl, grub, hang over, haul down, have a
premonition, have a presentiment, hover, humble, humiliate, impend, in the shade, indent, inferior, infra dig, intimidate, jew down,
junior, knit the brow,
knock down, lapse,
less, lessen, lesser, let down, lie over, long
face, look black, look daggers, look sullen, look threatening,
loom, low, lower case, lower the spirits,
lowered, lowering, lowest, lowly, make a lip, make a moue,
mantle, mark, mark down, menace, mine, miniaturized, minor, minuscule, moderate, modest, modulate, moue, mow, near, nether, nose-dive, oppress, ordinary, overhang, pare, peer, plop, plop down, plummet, plump, plunge, portend, pout, preapprehend, press down,
pull down, push down, put down, quarry, quieten, redden, reduce, reduced, retrench, retrenched, roll back,
sadden, sag, sap, scale down, scaled-down,
scoop, scoop out, scowl, scrabble, scrape, scratch, second rank, second
string, secondary,
servile, set, set down, settle, settle down, shame, shave, shorn, shorten, shorter, shovel, shrunk, shrunken, simplify, sink, sink down, slash, slouch, slump, slump down, small, smaller, snap, snarl, soften, somber, somberness, sombrousness, spade, spit, stare, step down, stoop, strip of rank, sub, subaltern, subjacent, subject, submerge, subordinate, subservient, subside, swag, take down, take from, third
rank, third string, threaten, thrust down, tone
down, trench, trim, trip up, trough, tune down, tunnel, turn down, under, underprivileged,
underprize, undervalue, utter threats
against, vulgar, warn, watered-down, weakened, weigh heavy upon,
weigh upon, worn, write
down, write off, wry face