Slowness can feel peaceful, frustrating, or just plain funny. Sometimes, trying to describe something moving slowly can be a little tricky. This is where similes come in! Similes use the words “like” or “as” to make comparisons, helping you create vivid pictures of what slow really feels like.
In this article, we’ll explore different similes for slowness. Each one will help you clearly show just how slow something is moving or happening. You’ll also get a chance to practice using these similes yourself. By the end, you’ll have a whole new collection of ways to talk about anything that’s slower than molasses!
Similes for Slow
1. Slow as molasses in January
Meaning: Extremely slow.
In a Sentence: The internet was as slow as molasses in January during the storm.
Other Ways to Say: Crawling like a turtle, Moving at a snail’s pace
2. Slow as a snail
Meaning: Very slow and steady.
In a Sentence: He walked to school as slow as a snail after staying up all night.
Other Ways to Say: Plodding along, Sluggish as can be
3. Slow as a tortoise
Meaning: Extremely slow but determined.
In a Sentence: She typed her essay as slow as a tortoise because she was double-checking every word.
Other Ways to Say: Steady as a rock, Unhurried like the tide
4. Slow as a glacier
Meaning: Moving so slowly it feels like it will never end.
In a Sentence: The line at the coffee shop moved as slow as a glacier on Monday morning.
Other Ways to Say: Taking forever, Creeping along
5. Slow as a sloth
Meaning: Very slow and lazy.
In a Sentence: I felt as slow as a sloth getting out of bed on a rainy day.
Other Ways to Say: Dragging my feet, Taking my sweet time
6. Slow as a turtle in the mud
Meaning: Extremely slow and struggling.
In a Sentence: The old car was as slow as a turtle in the mud climbing up the hill.
Other Ways to Say: Sputtering along, Barely moving
7. Slow as a traffic jam on a holiday
Meaning: Almost at a standstill.
In a Sentence: Our road trip was as slow as a traffic jam on a holiday weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Stuck in neutral, Barely crawling
8. Slow as honey dripping from a spoon
Meaning: Smooth but very slow.
In a Sentence: She spoke as slow as honey dripping from a spoon when explaining the directions.
Other Ways to Say: Drawling along, Talking at a crawl
9. Slow as a lazy river
Meaning: Calmly and slowly moving along.
In a Sentence: The afternoon passed as slow as a lazy river drifting under the sun.
Other Ways to Say: Meandering along, Taking it easy
10. Slow as cold syrup
Meaning: Thick and dragging.
In a Sentence: His efforts to finish homework were as slow as cold syrup sliding down the bottle.
Other Ways to Say: Sticky slow, Moving like sludge
11. Slow as a caterpillar crossing a leaf
Meaning: Taking tiny steps very slowly.
In a Sentence: The construction project moved as slow as a caterpillar crossing a leaf.
Other Ways to Say: Inch by inch, Barely noticeable
12. Slow as a movie buffer
Meaning: Taking forever to load or move.
In a Sentence: My old laptop was as slow as a movie buffer on bad Wi-Fi.
Other Ways to Say: Stuck in a loop, Freezing up
13. Slow as paint drying
Meaning: Extremely boring and slow.
In a Sentence: Waiting for my brother to get ready was as slow as paint drying.
Other Ways to Say: Mind-numbingly slow, Taking forever
14. Slow as a frozen river
Meaning: Stuck and barely moving.
In a Sentence: The morning traffic was as slow as a frozen river under thick ice.
Other Ways to Say: Solid as stone, Moving inch by inch
15. Slow as a cloud drifting by
Meaning: Gently slow and peaceful.
In a Sentence: The afternoon felt as slow as a cloud drifting lazily across the sky.
Other Ways to Say: Floating slowly, Barely moving
16. Slow as an old grandfather clock
Meaning: Moving or ticking slowly and steadily.
In a Sentence: His old bike was as slow as an old grandfather clock winding down.
Other Ways to Say: Tick-tocking along, Dragging through time
17. Slow as a sleepy cat
Meaning: Very relaxed and sluggish.
In a Sentence: On Sunday mornings, I feel as slow as a sleepy cat lounging in the sun.
Other Ways to Say: Dozing along, Barely stirring
18. Slow as erosion wearing down a rock
Meaning: Taking a very long time to make a change.
In a Sentence: Progress on the project was as slow as erosion wearing down a rock.
Other Ways to Say: Gradually changing, Moving at a crawl
19. Slow as a balloon drifting in no wind
Meaning: Barely moving at all.
In a Sentence: The boat drifted as slow as a balloon with no breeze to push it.
Other Ways to Say: Floating still, Barely shifting
20. Slow as a snail climbing a tree
Meaning: Incredibly slow and painstaking.
In a Sentence: His progress up the career ladder was as slow as a snail climbing a tree.
Other Ways to Say: Inch by painful inch, Crawling upward
21. Slow as ink spreading on paper
Meaning: Moving slowly and steadily.
In a Sentence: The dye moved as slow as ink spreading across wet paper.
Other Ways to Say: Seeping slowly, Creeping outward
22. Slow as an iceberg drifting at sea
Meaning: Massive and extremely slow-moving.
In a Sentence: Their decision-making process was as slow as an iceberg drifting at sea.
Other Ways to Say: Glacially slow, Moving at a gliding pace
23. Slow as a dream in the early morning
Meaning: Fuzzy, slow, and hard to grasp.
In a Sentence: My thoughts were as slow as a dream trying to stay in my mind after I woke up.
Other Ways to Say: Fading slowly, Lingering like mist
24. Slow as a boat against the tide
Meaning: Moving forward with great effort.
In a Sentence: Finishing my homework last night felt as slow as a boat struggling against the tide.
Other Ways to Say: Battling forward, Fighting every inch
25. Slow as a frozen engine on a winter morning
Meaning: Hard to get started and slow to move.
In a Sentence: My brain was as slow as a frozen engine before my first cup of coffee.
Other Ways to Say: Cold and sluggish, Sputtering into motion
26. Slow as a feather floating to the ground
Meaning: Gentle and unhurried.
In a Sentence: The news sank in as slow as a feather floating down from the sky.
Other Ways to Say: Drifting gently, Falling softly
27. Slow as a clock ticking in a quiet room
Meaning: Noticeably slow and steady.
In a Sentence: The last few minutes of class were as slow as a clock ticking in a silent room.
Other Ways to Say: Time dragging, Waiting forever
28. Slow as syrup on a cold day
Meaning: Extremely thick and slow-moving.
In a Sentence: His answers came out as slow as syrup on a cold winter morning.
Other Ways to Say: Thick and heavy, Oozing along
29. Slow as a seed sprouting
Meaning: Takes a long time to show results.
In a Sentence: Building the business was as slow as a seed sprouting underground.
Other Ways to Say: Growing little by little, Slowly coming to life
30. Slow as the last school bell
Meaning: Time dragging right before something exciting.
In a Sentence: The minutes before summer vacation felt as slow as the last school bell.
Other Ways to Say: Dragging on, Crawling to the end
31. Slow as a sloth in the sun
Meaning: Warm, comfortable, and hardly moving.
In a Sentence: After lunch, I felt as slow as a sloth sunbathing on a rock.
Other Ways to Say: Lazing around, Moving at a snail’s speed
32. Slow as a shadow creeping at dusk
Meaning: Quiet, creeping slowness.
In a Sentence: Fear crept in as slow as a shadow stretching across the field at sunset.
Other Ways to Say: Gradually unfolding, Inch by inch
33. Slow as a paper boat on a pond
Meaning: Barely moving and peaceful.
In a Sentence: The conversation drifted as slow as a paper boat floating across a quiet pond.
Other Ways to Say: Floating gently, Drifting without hurry
34. Slow as a turtle crossing the road
Meaning: Extremely slow and cautious.
In a Sentence: The elderly man moved across the parking lot as slow as a turtle crossing the road.
Other Ways to Say: Step by careful step, Cautiously crawling
35. Slow as a winter sunrise
Meaning: Gradually and beautifully slow.
In a Sentence: The morning grew brighter as slow as a winter sunrise sneaking over the horizon.
Other Ways to Say: Awakening slowly, Gradually unfolding
36. Slow as an old dog stretching
Meaning: Leisurely and relaxed movement.
In a Sentence: After a long nap, I stood up as slow as an old dog stretching its tired legs.
Other Ways to Say: Taking forever to move, Reluctantly rising
37. Slow as a breeze on a still day
Meaning: Barely noticeable movement.
In a Sentence: Her excitement faded as slow as a breeze on a hot, still afternoon.
Other Ways to Say: Soft and sluggish, Whispering along
38. Slow as a candle melting
Meaning: Gradually changing and fading.
In a Sentence: The excitement of the party burned away as slow as a candle melting in the night.
Other Ways to Say: Dissolving gently, Fading slowly
39. Slow as a forgotten clock
Meaning: Out of sync and dragging.
In a Sentence: His reaction was as slow as a forgotten clock ticking away in the attic.
Other Ways to Say: Behind the times, Lagging behind
40. Slow as an icicle forming
Meaning: Taking a long, slow time to grow or develop.
In a Sentence: His trust built up as slow as an icicle forming drip by drip.
Other Ways to Say: Forming gradually, Taking forever
41. Slow as a bookworm reading every word
Meaning: Careful and very slow.
In a Sentence: She read the letter as slow as a bookworm savoring every sentence.
Other Ways to Say: Absorbing carefully, Lingering over every line
42. Slow as fog rolling in
Meaning: Quietly and steadily moving in.
In a Sentence: Doubt crept over me as slow as fog rolling into the valley.
Other Ways to Say: Gently enveloping, Creeping in
43. Slow as a broken clock
Meaning: Almost completely stuck.
In a Sentence: The negotiation moved forward as slow as a broken clock that only ticks once a day.
Other Ways to Say: Barely alive, Moving at a dead crawl
44. Slow as the tide coming in
Meaning: Constant but very gradual movement.
In a Sentence: Understanding came to me as slow as the tide creeping over the sand.
Other Ways to Say: Inch by inch, Gradually arriving
45. Slow as a spider spinning a web
Meaning: Careful and methodical.
In a Sentence: He worked on the project as slow as a spider spinning an intricate web.
Other Ways to Say: Carefully crafting, Building patiently
46. Slow as a worm burrowing underground
Meaning: Moving invisibly and slowly.
In a Sentence: My motivation disappeared as slow as a worm burrowing deep into the earth.
Other Ways to Say: Vanishing little by little, Moving unseen
47. Slow as the last drop from a faucet
Meaning: Very slow and annoying.
In a Sentence: The final minutes of the exam dragged on as slow as the last drop falling from a leaky faucet.
Other Ways to Say: Dripping time away, Barely moving
48. Slow as a vine growing up a wall
Meaning: Steady but hardly noticeable over time.
In a Sentence: Her success built up as slow as a vine curling up a brick wall.
Other Ways to Say: Growing steadily, Moving upward little by little
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks:
- When the traffic barely moved, it felt as slow as _______.
- My dog woke up as slow as _______ on a sunny morning.
- During the boring meeting, time passed as slow as _______.
- She finished the puzzle as slow as _______ weaving a web.
- My phone loaded the video as slow as _______ dripping from a spoon.
- The ship floated along the coast as slow as _______ on a pond.
- Waiting for summer vacation felt as slow as _______ ticking.
- The fog rolled in as slow as _______ over the hills.
- His new habits developed as slow as _______ growing.
- The tiny baby turtle crawled as slow as _______ across the sand.
Answers
molasses, a sleepy cat, paint drying, a spider, honey, a paper boat, a clock, fog, a vine, a snail
Conclusion
Similes help make slow moments come to life with vivid pictures and strong comparisons. Whether you feel like you’re moving as slow as molasses in January or drifting like a paper boat on a pond, these similes give you creative ways to talk about life’s slower moments. Keep practicing using them, and soon you’ll master the art of describing anything slow with color and creativity!
