to slacken off
- phrasal verb
- /ˈslækən ɔf/
:
aflojar
- Net movement: zero—but if either campaign had slackened off, the other would have steamrollered to victory.
Examples
-
So I presume I need to slacken off that spring a bit.
-
The rain has finally slackened off, allowing us to go outside without getting soaked.
-
But after the eggs hatched, males whose nests had received alien eggs in bulk slackened off on nest defense.
Academic text (2005) -
By this time—it must be four, four-thirty—the rain has slackened off a bit, and the wind, which always seems to be peaking at Force 10 lately, seems a bit quieter too.
Fiction book (2001) -
It did not matter that Bearden, by slacking off, whether consciously or because she was dissipating her energy, was surely destroying her own chances for a career in the field, while Wheeler's conscientiousness would surely pay handsome dividends in both a scientific and a professional sense.
Fiction book (2000) -
As the race went on, the runners began to slacken off their pace in the final laps.
-
You should slacken off on your study sessions to avoid burnout before the exam.
Synonyms
687
1.4
To move or act more slowly
57
3.7
To make something less strong or strict
49
2.6
Become less in number, amount, or quality
48
6.4
To become less in size, amount, or strength
21
3.5
To become less in number or amount
9
4.0
To become gradually less strong or severe
3
5.3
To reduce effort, speed or attention
3
3.9
To become less strong or busy
1
4.9
Become or make slower, for example the wind
1
5.1
To become weak or lose energy
1
5.7
Move, act, or work less quickly and with less energy
Antonyms
How Intense
Surface Forms
Morphology
slacken + off
The core meaning 'to become less intense or reduce effort' is directly carried by 'slacken' (to reduce intensity), and the particle 'off' here simply marks diminution or movement away rather than adding an idiomatic twist. Because the constituent meanings compose straightforwardly and follow a common verb+particle pattern, a B1 learner who knows 'slacken' and 'off' should be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Slacken off comes from the image of a rope being let go until it becomes loose: slacken means to make something less tight and off shows it moving away. So, to slacken off now means 'to become less strong, active, or fast'.