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slackness

slackness

4.9
A state when something is loose rather than tight
  • noun
  • /ˈslæk.nəs/
translation icon : holgura
  • Aeryk stared at his father's face, at the slackness of his father's mouth.

Examples

  • The ropes started to coil, the slackness going out of them.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • He noticed the slackness in the waistband of his pants after losing weight.

  • The complementary slackness conditions are for 1 ≤ l ≤ L:

    Academic text (2000)
  • It suggests that "market slackness" created when the AFES kept constrained carmakers from fully following market trends was taken up by the unconstrained carmakers, who took the opportunity to sell a mix of less efficient cars than they otherwise would have.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The slackness of the rope allowed the sail to billow freely in the wind.

  • The slackness of the fabric made it comfortable to wear during the hot summer.

Synonyms

slack
vsslackness
47 3.3

The loose part of a rope, cable, or line

is the broader word for the general condition of being loose
looseness
vsslackness
1 2.5

A small gap or movement between parts that should be tight

is a general state of being loose rather than tight or taut
laxity
vsslackness
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A condition in which muscles or other body tissues are loose and make joints unstable

uses the same idea but applies to any loose state not just tissues
limpness
vsslackness
1 4.1

Lack of firmness or strength that makes something hang down

focuses on general looseness rather than reduced stiffness or drooping
flabbiness
vsslackness
1 5.0

Soft, loose parts of the body or muscles that are not firm

means loose in general contexts rather than specifically bodily softness
laxness
vsslackness
  • Specialized
7.6

Looseness in muscles or joints that makes movement feel weak

is the general state of being loose rather than being only a medical condition
floppiness
vsslackness
4.1

Soft and loose like a stuffed animal with no firm shape

describes loose state more generally instead of floppy bending behavior
bagginess
vsslackness
3.6

Loose material in fabric or rope that makes it hang and move

applies to any loose state not only loose or ill-fitting fabric

Antonyms

6 5.5

A feeling of being squeezed in a part of the body

3 2.4

Being solid and not easily moved when pressed

How Tight

tautness
1 5.3
tension
70 3.2
slackness
4.9
looseness
1 2.5

Surface Forms

slackness singular
slacknesses plural

Morphology

slackness = slack (transparent) = slack + ness

The word 'slackness' is transparently derived from 'slack' with the addition of the suffix '-ness' to denote a state or quality.

Etymology

Slackness comes from the simple word slack, which means 'loose' or 'not tight'. Think of a slack rope that hangs down without tension — that image helps you remember that slackness is the state of being loose.