Standard Lemma guide

slowpoke

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • General-American: /ˈsloʊˌpoʊk/
  • CMU ARPABET: S L OW1 P OW2 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who moves slowly or takes a long time to do something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, derogatory, informal, mildly

Examples

  • Hey, you slowpokes in the back! Get a move on!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

someone who moves slowly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • in England they call a slowpoke a slowcoach

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plodder, stick-in-the-mud, slowcoach

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dawdler, drone, laggard, lagger, trailer, poke

History

Etymology

From slow + poke.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: мару́да (marúda) — person who moves slowly
  • Dutch: slome — person who moves slowly
  • Finnish: hidastelija — person who moves slowly
  • Finnish: vätys — person who moves slowly
  • French: escargot — person who moves slowly
  • French: lambin — person who moves slowly
  • German: Trödler — person who moves slowly
  • German: Trödlerin — person who moves slowly
  • Hawaiian: lelemu — person who moves slowly
  • Latin: cunctātor — person who moves slowly
  • Norwegian bokmål: tregost — person who moves slowly
  • Norwegian bokmål: treigost — person who moves slowly
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: tregost — person who moves slowly
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: treigost — person who moves slowly
  • Polish: grzebuła — person who moves slowly
  • Polish: guzdrała — person who moves slowly
  • Polish: maruda — person who moves slowly
  • Polish: maruder — person who moves slowly
  • Polish: ślamazara — person who moves slowly
  • Polish: ślamazarnik — person who moves slowly
  • Russian: копуша (kopuša) — person who moves slowly
  • Russian: тормоз (tormoz) — person who moves slowly
  • Swedish: slöfock — person who moves slowly
  • Swedish: sölkorv — person who moves slowly
  • Welsh: llusgwr — person who moves slowly
  • Welsh: malwod — person who moves slowly