50 Similes for Slow with Meanings & Sentences
Similes for Slow
1. Slow as a tortoise
Meaning: Moving very slowly, like a tortoise.
In a Sentence: The old dog walked as slow as a tortoise, taking his time to explore the backyard.
Other Ways to Say: Slow as a slug, Slow as a worm.
2. Slow as a turtle
Meaning: Moving at a sluggish or unhurried pace.
In a Sentence: He walked to school as slow as a turtle, always arriving late.
Other Ways to Say: Slow as a snail, Slow as a sloth.
3. Slow as molasses in January
Meaning: Exceptionally slow.
In a Sentence: The internet connection was as slow as molasses in January.
Other Ways to Say: Slower than a glacier, Slow as honey.
4. Like watching paint dry
Meaning: Extremely slow and boring.
In a Sentence: The lecture was like watching paint dry—agonizingly slow.
Other Ways to Say: Like grass growing, Like a clock ticking backwards.
5. Slow as a glacier
Meaning: Very gradual and creeping.
In a Sentence: The project is moving as slow as a glacier.
Other Ways to Say: Crawling forward, Like an ice flow.
6. Like a snail on a sidewalk
Meaning: Very slow-moving.
In a Sentence: The baby crawled like a snail on a sidewalk.
Other Ways to Say: Slow as mud, Dragging like syrup.
7. Slow as a traffic jam
Meaning: Stuck or delayed in movement.
In a Sentence: Progress on the construction site is as slow as a traffic jam during rush hour.
Other Ways to Say: Like bumper-to-bumper traffic, Crawling like a jammed highway.
8. Like a drip from a faucet
Meaning: Steady but incredibly slow.
In a Sentence: The old printer works like a drip from a faucet—barely moving.
Other Ways to Say: Trickle-paced, Drop by drop.
9. As slow as cold syrup
Meaning: Thick and slow-moving.
In a Sentence: His thinking was as slow as cold syrup on a winter morning.
Other Ways to Say: Gooey pace, Sticky slow.
10. Like a creeping vine
Meaning: Gradually moving.
In a Sentence: Time passed like a creeping vine during the long meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Slow as ivy growth, Like moss spreading.
11. Slow as a frozen stream
Meaning: Barely moving.
In a Sentence: The approval process is as slow as a frozen stream.
Other Ways to Say: Cold and stuck, Still like ice.
12. Like a slow-motion movie
Meaning: Unnaturally delayed.
In a Sentence: The fall happened like a slow-motion movie.
Other Ways to Say: Deliberate pace, Slow like a video replay.
13. As slow as time in detention
Meaning: Time seeming to pass very slowly.
In a Sentence: Waiting for the doctor felt as slow as time in detention.
Other Ways to Say: Time dragging, Like school never ending.
14. Like rust forming
Meaning: Very slow and gradual over time.
In a Sentence: The company’s growth was like rust forming—barely noticeable.
Other Ways to Say: Steady decay, Tiny progress.
15. As slow as bedtime stories
Meaning: Gentle and unhurried.
In a Sentence: His explanation was as slow as bedtime stories, lulling us to sleep.
Other Ways to Say: Soothingly slow, Calm-paced.
16. Like a sun setting
Meaning: Slow and graceful.
In a Sentence: Her dance movements were like the sun setting—slow and beautiful.
Other Ways to Say: Graceful and gradual, Like dusk arriving.
17. As sluggish as a bear in winter
Meaning: Lacking speed and energy.
In a Sentence: I felt as sluggish as a bear in winter after eating too much.
Other Ways to Say: Drowsy as hibernation, Heavy-paced.
18. Like a candle melting
Meaning: Slowly fading.
In a Sentence: His motivation melted away like a candle burning down.
Other Ways to Say: Fading slowly, Gradually dimming.
19. Slow as morning traffic
Meaning: Commonly sluggish.
In a Sentence: Getting through paperwork is as slow as morning traffic.
Other Ways to Say: Routine drag, Like a weekday jam.
20. Like a lazy river
Meaning: Calm and unhurried.
In a Sentence: The afternoon passed like a lazy river.
Other Ways to Say: Meandering pace, Leisurely drift.
21. As slow as dial-up internet
Meaning: Obsolete and slow.
In a Sentence: That old computer is as slow as dial-up internet.
Other Ways to Say: Outdated pace, Ancient speed.
22. Like a turtle crossing the road
Meaning: Awkward and slow.
In a Sentence: He moved like a turtle crossing the road in heavy rain.
Other Ways to Say: Careful but slow, Cautious crawl.
23. As slow as a bedtime lullaby
Meaning: Gentle and prolonged.
In a Sentence: Her speech was as slow as a bedtime lullaby.
Other Ways to Say: Rhythmic and slow, Sleepy pace.
24. Like honey dripping off a spoon
Meaning: Thick and slow.
In a Sentence: The syrup flowed like honey dripping off a spoon.
Other Ways to Say: Thick like molasses, Sticky slow.
25. Slow as a grandma knitting
Meaning: Leisurely and calm.
In a Sentence: His typing speed is as slow as a grandma knitting.
Other Ways to Say: Careful but slow, Delicate and slow.
26. Like time during a boring movie
Meaning: Time moves very slowly.
In a Sentence: That two-hour lecture felt like time during a boring movie.
Other Ways to Say: Never-ending, Time stretched out.
27. As slow as a snowflake falling
Meaning: Graceful and soft.
In a Sentence: The balloon floated down as slow as a snowflake falling.
Other Ways to Say: Floating pace, Drifting slowly.
28. Like a candle flicker
Meaning: Gradual and soft.
In a Sentence: The light dimmed like a candle flicker.
Other Ways to Say: Gently fading, Flickering slowly.
29. As slow as learning a new language
Meaning: Requires time and patience.
In a Sentence: Progress in coding was as slow as learning a new language.
Other Ways to Say: Gradual learning, Bit by bit.
30. Like a glacier shifting
Meaning: Massive and slow.
In a Sentence: The legal process moved like a glacier shifting.
Other Ways to Say: Monumentally slow, Glacier-paced.
31. Slow as dial tone
Meaning: Old-fashioned and slow.
In a Sentence: Her reply was as slow as a dial tone from the past.
Other Ways to Say: Slow as rotary phones, Vintage slow.
32. Like syrup on a cold morning
Meaning: Viscous and sluggish.
In a Sentence: His pace on the track was like syrup on a cold morning.
Other Ways to Say: Thick and slow, Gooey pace.
33. As slow as a crawling baby
Meaning: Infant-paced and slow.
In a Sentence: The toddler moved across the carpet as slow as a crawling baby.
Other Ways to Say: Baby steps, Crawl speed.
34. Like a cat stalking prey
Meaning: Quiet and deliberate.
In a Sentence: He approached the task like a cat stalking prey.
Other Ways to Say: Intentional slow, Cautious.
35. As slow as a melting popsicle
Meaning: Melts away over time.
In a Sentence: The ice sculpture was as slow as a melting popsicle.
Other Ways to Say: Gradually disappearing, Softening slow.
36. Like a pendulum swinging
Meaning: Repetitive and rhythmic.
In a Sentence: The fan oscillated like a pendulum swinging slowly.
Other Ways to Say: Back-and-forth slow, Measured swing.
37. As slow as fog lifting
Meaning: Gradual clearing.
In a Sentence: The answer came to him as slow as fog lifting.
Other Ways to Say: Clearing slow, Hazy reveal.
38. Like a bear yawning
Meaning: Heavy and slow-paced.
In a Sentence: His movements after waking were like a bear yawning.
Other Ways to Say: Groggy steps, Slow rise.
39. As slow as frozen molasses
Meaning: Extremely sluggish.
In a Sentence: My brain felt as slow as frozen molasses during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Frozen thought, Ice-cold pace.
40. Like shadows creeping
Meaning: Quiet and creeping.
In a Sentence: Nightfall came like shadows creeping across the walls.
Other Ways to Say: Subtle movement, Quiet crawl.
41. As slow as counting stars
Meaning: Tediously long process.
In a Sentence: Editing that manuscript was as slow as counting stars.
Other Ways to Say: Endless task, Star-counting slow.
42. Like moss growing
Meaning: Practically unmoving.
In a Sentence: Change in the organization was like moss growing.
Other Ways to Say: Unnoticeable slow, Static pace.
43. As slow as loading a floppy disk
Meaning: Outdated slowness.
In a Sentence: His phone’s app opened as slow as a floppy disk loading.
Other Ways to Say: Obsolete speed, Ancient tech pace.
44. Like waiting for the weekend
Meaning: Feels long and delayed.
In a Sentence: This Monday is like waiting for the weekend—slow and painful.
Other Ways to Say: Weekend crawl, Never-ending Monday.
45. As slow as a yawning dog
Meaning: Lazy and content.
In a Sentence: The puppy stretched as slow as a yawning dog in the sun.
Other Ways to Say: Lazy slow, Relaxed pace.
46. Like a page turning in the wind
Meaning: Delicate and slow.
In a Sentence: Her thoughts changed like a page turning in the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Gentle transition, Gradual shift.
47. As slow as typing with one finger
Meaning: Inefficiently slow.
In a Sentence: He types as slow as with one finger—painfully slow.
Other Ways to Say: Hunt and peck pace, Single-stroke typing.
48. Like tea steeping
Meaning: Takes time to fully develop.
In a Sentence: Their friendship grew like tea steeping—slow but warm.
Other Ways to Say: Brewed slowly, Infused over time.
49. As slow as a sleepy sloth
Meaning: Extremely slow and relaxed.
In a Sentence: On Sunday mornings, I’m as slow as a sleepy sloth.
Other Ways to Say: Lazy pace, Deliberate crawl.
50. Like a ticking clock
Meaning: Methodical and slow-paced.
In a Sentence: The hours passed like a ticking clock in a silent room.
Other Ways to Say: Tick by tick, Second by second.
