🐢 Very slow 🙈 Shy or withdrawn

tortoise-like

4.5

Slow in movement or progress, like a tortoise

adjective
/ˈtɔːrtəs-laɪk/

: lento

The negotiations moved at a tortoise-like pace, frustrating everyone involved.

Examples

His tortoise-like movements made him the last to finish the race.
Some ancient trees are known for their tortoise-like endurance and longevity.
Her tortoise-like progress in learning the language eventually led to fluency.
Don't be so tortoise-like when making decisions!
The negotiations moved at a tortoise-like pace, frustrating everyone involved.
His tortoise-like movements made him the last to finish the race.
Her tortoise-like progress in learning the language eventually led to fluency.

Synonyms

snaillike

vstortoise-like

4.1

Moving or acting very slowly like a snail

is steadier and highlights slow heavy body shape rather than tiny movement

turtlelike

vstortoise-like

4.8

Having the slow movement or rounded shape of a turtle

is slower and emphasizes slow pace and heavy body features

Antonyms

quick

183 1.0

Able to move fast and lightly

How Slow

tortoise-like

4.5

plodding

1 5.3

sluggish

30 3.9

slow

∞ 1.0

unhurried

5 3.5

Surface Forms

tortoise-like positive

Morphology

tortoise-like = tortoise (transparent) = tortoise + like

Direct descriptive formation: 'having qualities or appearance similar to a tortoise' is straightforward for learners who know 'tortoise'.

Etymology

Tortoise-like comes from tortoise, the slow, long-lived animal, and the ending -like, which means 'similar to'. So calling something tortoise-like suggests it moves slowly or shows the steady endurance of a tortoise.