lower

[ loh-er ]

/ ˈloʊ ər /

verb (used with object)

to cause to descend; let or put down: to lower a flag.

to make lower in height or level: to lower the water in a canal.

to reduce in amount, price, degree, force, etc.

to make less loud: Please lower your voice.

to bring down in rank or estimation; degrade; humble; abase (oneself), as by some sacrifice of self-respect or dignity: His bad actions lowered him in my eyes.

Music. to make lower in pitch; flatten.

Phonetics. to alter the articulation of (a vowel) by increasing the distance of the tongue downward from the palate: The vowel of “clerk” is lowered to (ä) in the British pronunciation.

verb (used without object)

to become lower, grow less, or diminish, as in amount, intensity, or degree: The brook lowers in early summer. Stock prices rise and lower constantly.

to descend; sink: the sun lowering in the west.

adjective

comparative of low¹.

of or relating to those portions of a river farthest from the source.

(often initial capital letter) Stratigraphy. noting an early division of a period, system, or the like: the Lower Devonian.

noun

a denture for the lower jaw.

a lower berth.

Origin of lower

1150–1200; Middle English, comparative of low¹ (adj.)

SYNONYMS FOR lower

1 drop, depress.

3 decrease, diminish, lessen.

4 soften.

5 humiliate, dishonor, disgrace, debase.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR lower ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR lower

3 raise, increase.

5 elevate, honor.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR lower ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM lower

low·er·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby lower

lowe, lowe's syndrome, lowe-terrey-maclachlan syndrome, lowell, lowell observatory, lower, lower airway, lower apsis, lower austria, lower bound, lower burrell

Definition for lowered (2 of 2)

lower ²

[ lou-er, louuhr ]

/ ˈlaʊ ər, laʊər /

verb (used without object)

to be dark and threatening, as the sky or the weather.

to frown, scowl, or look sullen; glower: He lowers at people when he's in a bad mood.

noun

a dark, threatening appearance, as of the sky or weather.

a frown or scowl.

Also lour.

Origin of lower

1250–1300; Middle English lour (noun), louren (v.) to frown, lurk; akin to German lauern, Dutch loeren

SYNONYMS FOR lower

1 darken, threaten.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR lower ON THESAURUS.COM

Example sentences from the Web for lowered

Both the Ramos sons squeezed their eyes and lowered their heads, doing their best not to cry.

Choking Back Tears, Thousands of Cops Honor Fallen Officer Ramos |Michael Daly |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Last May, Israel lowered the minimum age for gender reassignment surgery from 21 to 18.

Trans in the Holy Land: ‘Marzipan Flowers,’ Tal Kallai, and the Shattering of Israel’s LGBT Taboos |Itay Hod |November 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
To increase profits, hospitals did what they could to increase “customers” and they lowered physician salaries.

Will US Health Care Follow in China’s Bloody Footsteps? |Daniela Drake |September 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
So we had to have a pulley system where he was lowered on cables.

Rob Reiner on the State of Romcoms, ‘The Princess Bride’s’ Alternate Ending, and the Red Viper |Marlow Stern |July 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

In the earnings report, it lowered expectations for sales growth and profits margins in the coming year.

Whole Foods Is Getting Its Organic Lunch Eaten |Daniel Gross |May 9, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Stevens lowered his voice, and stopped to peer again about the bush.

The Hunted Woman |James Oliver Curwood
He opened the hatchway while La Croix was profusely thanking him, put a sling around the box and lowered it.

The Bradys and the Girl Smuggler |Francis W. Doughty
She brought the ladle over the rim of the sieve and lowered it until it all but touched the middle of the web.

The Unwilling Vestal |Edward Lucas White
Before him their eyes were lowered; their heads bowed; and through them all ran murmurs of fear and supplication.

Darkness and Dawn |George Allan England
He lowered the bolt cautiously, not noticing that it could be worked from the outside.

The Devil in Iron |Robert E. Howard

British Dictionary definitions for lowered (1 of 2)

lower ¹

/ (ˈləʊə) /

adjective

being below one or more other things the lower shelf; the lower animals

reduced in amount or value a lower price

maths (of a limit or bound) less than or equal to one or more numbers or variables

(sometimes capital) geology denoting the early part or division of a period, system, formation, etc Lower Silurian

verb

(tr) to cause to become low or on a lower level; bring, put, or cause to move down

(tr) to reduce or bring down in estimation, dignity, value, etc to lower oneself

to reduce or be reduced to lower one's confidence

(tr) to make quieter to lower the radio

(tr) to reduce the pitch of

(tr) phonetics to modify the articulation of (a vowel) by bringing the tongue further away from the roof of the mouth

(intr) to diminish or become less

Derived forms of lower

lowerable, adjective

Word Origin for lower

C12 (comparative of low 1); C17 (vb)

British Dictionary definitions for lowered (2 of 2)

lower ²

lour

/ (ˈlaʊə) /

verb (intr)

(esp of the sky, weather, etc) to be overcast, dark, and menacing

to scowl or frown

noun

a menacing scowl or appearance

Derived forms of lower

lowering or louring, adjective loweringly or louringly, adverb

Scientific definitions for lowered

lower

[ lō′ər ]

Being an earlier division of the geological or archaeological period named. Compare upper.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

lower

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

noun

Origin of lower

SYNONYMS FOR lower

ANTONYMS FOR lower

OTHER WORDS FROM lower

Words nearby lower

Definition for lowered (2 of 2)

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of lower

SYNONYMS FOR lower

Example sentences from the Web for lowered

British Dictionary definitions for lowered (1 of 2)

adjective

verb

Derived forms of lower

Word Origin for lower

British Dictionary definitions for lowered (2 of 2)

lour

verb (intr)

noun

Derived forms of lower

Scientific definitions for lowered

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

lower

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

adjective

noun

Origin of lower

SYNONYMS FOR lower

ANTONYMS FOR lower

OTHER WORDS FROM lower

Words nearby lower

Definition for lowered (2 of 2)

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of lower

SYNONYMS FOR lower

Words related to lowered

Example sentences from the Web for lowered

British Dictionary definitions for lowered (1 of 2)

adjective

verb

Derived forms of lower

Word Origin for lower

British Dictionary definitions for lowered (2 of 2)

lour

verb (intr)

noun

Derived forms of lower

Scientific definitions for lowered