slacken means to gradually decrease in intensity or tautness; to become slack; to lag. It carries an Arena rating of 1506, earned across 4 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, slacken ranks #231 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words, #1,039 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #2,925 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #4,348 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
slacken is pronounced /ˈslæ.kən/.
Why “slacken” is a great word
To reduce the tension, intensity, or pace of something. From Middle English slakenen, from slack (meaning 'loose, negligent') and the verbal suffix -en. Unlike "slack" (which describes a static state of looseness or idleness) or "relax" (which suggests easing tension for comfort or mental relief), "slacken" captures the deliberate or inevitable process of easing back. It is the sail losing its wind-bellied curve, the steady downpour softening to a drizzle, and the grimace of pain gradually subsiding from a face—the quiet surrender of force, as if all things, given time, must soften at the edges.
Etymology
From Middle English slakenen, equivalent to slack + -en.
verb
- To gradually decrease in intensity or tautness; to become slack; to lag.e.g.“The pace slackened.”
- To make slack, less taut, or less intense.e.g.“slacken the rope”
- To deprive of cohesion by combining chemically with water; to slake.e.g.“to slacken lime”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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