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GRE vocabulary

slack

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore S words

not taut or held tightly; lacking energy, effort, or diligence

Word origin: From Old English slæc, loose or careless.

In a sentence

Slack in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing slack in a sentence.

The manager warned that slack performance during the busy season would not be tolerated.

The supervisor warned that slack oversight of the safety checks had allowed small lapses to accumulate.

Usage & nuance

Using “slack” well

Slack carries two related senses: not taut or held tightly, and lacking energy, effort, or diligence. Applied to a person or effort it implies negligent looseness rather than physical looseness.

Common questions

Questions about “slack

Slack (adjective) means not taut or held tightly; lacking energy, effort, or diligence
Here is slack used in an example sentence: "The manager warned that slack performance during the busy season would not be tolerated." Another example: "The supervisor warned that slack oversight of the safety checks had allowed small lapses to accumulate."
Common synonyms for slack include lax, negligent, sluggish, remiss.
Antonyms of slack include taut, diligent, rigorous, attentive.
Clusters with lax, negligent, sluggish, and remiss in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms taut and diligent oppose the two senses, with rigorous and attentive reinforcing the effort sense.
Yes. Slack is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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