slack
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++slack1 /slæk/ adjective 1 LOOSEhanging loosely, or not pulled tight 〔绳子等〕不（拉）紧的，松弛的 OPP taut Keep the rope slack until I tell you to pull it. 让绳子松着，直到我叫你拉紧。2 BUSY/HAVE A LOT TO DOwith less business activity than usual 〔生意〕萧条的，清淡的 SYN slow Business remained slack throughout the day. 一整天生意都很冷清。3 CARELESSnot taking enough care or making enough effort to do things correctly – used to show disapproval 懒散的，懈怠的，马虎的〔含贬义〕 SYN careless Slack defending by Real Madrid allowed Manchester United to score. 皇家马德里队松懈的防守使曼联队得以进球得分。 —slackly adverb —slackness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
slack• The fan belt is a little slack.• The report criticized airport security as "disgracefully slack."• I let the rope go slack as the boat came closer.• Corporate profits have been hurt by slack demand.• She didn't want to come against the flat slack flesh.• This can result due to reductions in overmanning and improvements in other types of slack management procedures.• If the rope between climbers is slack, one slip can be fatal.• Savings and loan institutions, for example, were once high slack systems, and appropriately so in a regulated industry.• Today a changing environment has forced many such organization either to become low slack systems or to go out of business.• Keep the rope slack till I say `pull'.• Her body went momentarily slack with relief, or was it disappointment?slack2 noun 1 take up/pick up the slack a) to make a system or organization as efficient as possible by making sure that money, space, or people are fully used 〔通过充分利用金钱、空间、人员等〕使效率提高 Without another contract to help pick up the slack, employees may face job losses. 如果不能再承接一份合同把闲散人员都利用起来的话，员工就可能面临失业。 b) INSTEADto do something that needs to be done because someone else is no longer doing it 接过别人停下的工作 c) TIGHTto make a rope tighter 把绳子拉紧2. [uncountable]LOOSE part of a rope that is not stretched tight 〔绳索的〕松弛部分3 [uncountable]AVAILABLE money, space, people, or time that an organization or person has available, but is not using fully 〔资金、地方、人员、时间等的〕富余部分，闲置部分 There is still some slack in the budget. 预算尚有富余。4 cut/give somebody some slack spoken to allow someone to do something without criticizing them or making it more difficult 放某人一马，饶了某人 Hey, cut me some slack, man. I’m only a few bucks short. 嘿，饶了我吧，老兄，我就差了几块钱嘛。5 slacks [plural] trousers 裤子 a pair of slacks 一条裤子 dress slacks (=for more formal occasions) 正装裤6. [uncountable] British English very small pieces of coal 煤屑Examples from the Corpus
slack• An ordinary plaid blouse, and slacks, I decide.• He wore a short-sleeved shirt and pale cinnamon slacks.• The idea of Jim Morrison in a pair of black cotton slacks doesn't quite have the same ring, does it?• Leave a little slack in the line.• The workforce has been reduced, so there's very little slack in the system.• People in San Francisco seem to have no slack in their lives anymore.• Therese was huddled in nearly every garment she possessed, slacks, jumpers, her shabby grey coat and the multicoloured shawl.• Hand coils create unwanted slack and immediately tighten around the hand under load, trapping the fingers and preventing an effective arrest.• Sheila sauntered in wearing slacks and an artificial-silk print blouse with a bow at around 7: 30.• Lucy never wore slacks or make-up, except when he permitted it in order to cover a bruise.slack3 (also slack off) verb [intransitive] WORK HARDto make less effort than usual, or to be lazy in your work 松懈，懈怠；磨洋工 He was accused of slacking and taking too many holidays. 他被指责工作不努力，休假太多。→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
slack• She called me into her office and accused me of slacking and taking too many holidays!• The horse slacked his pace, swung his neck down to ease the tension in it, and relaxed his tail.• It did not slack in the least until Centreville was reached.• I guess I thought that since everything was starting to turn around, I could slack off a little.• A lifetime of low-level employment is a high price to pay for slacking off in junior high.• Antonio Ramos, a mariachi since he turned 12, has seen the work for mariachis slack off too.• This is no time to be slacking off!• But Le Carré's not slacking off.• "You start tomorrow at nine, " he told them, "and no slacking, or there'll be trouble."From Longman Business Dictionaryslackslack1 /slæk/ adjective1COMMERCEa slack period of time is one with less business activity than usualBusiness is slack just now.The workers feared being laid off (=losing their jobs) in slack periods.2if someone is being slack, they are not taking enough care or making enough effort to do things rightThe report criticized airport security as “disgracefully slack”.High prices and the absence of competition may make firms slack in their use of resources. —slackness noun [uncountable]the slackness of the London market at presentThe report accuses the government of slackness.slackslack2 (also slack off) verb [intransitive] to make less of an effort than usual or be lazy in your workHe was accused of slacking and taking too many holidays.→ See Verb tableslackslack3 noun [uncountable] money, space, or people that an organization is not using at present, but could use in the futureThere is very little slack in the training budget for this year.Origin slack1 Old English sleacnot Corpus tight hanging Business loosely, or pulled
slack
slack1 /slæk/ 
adjective
OPP taut:
Keep the rope slack until I tell you to pull it.
2. with less business activity than usual
SYN slow:
Business remained slack throughout the day.
3. not taking enough care or making enough effort to do things correctly – used to show disapproval
SYN careless:
Slack defending by Real Madrid allowed Manchester United to score.
—slackly adverb
—slackness noun [uncountable]
slack2 noun
1. take up/pick up the slack
a. to make a system or organization as efficient as possible by making sure that money, space, or people are fully used:
Without another contract to help pick up the slack, employees may face job losses.
b. to do something that needs to be done because someone else is no longer doing it
c. to make a rope tighter
2. [uncountable] part of a rope that is not stretched tight
3. [uncountable] money, space, people, or time that an organization or person has available, but is not using fully:
There is still some slack in the budget.
4. cut/give somebody some slack spoken to allow someone to do something without criticizing them or making it more difficult:
Hey, cut me some slack, man. I’m only a few bucks short.
5. slacks [plural] trousers:
a pair of slacks
dress slacks (=for more formal occasions)
6. [uncountable] British English very small pieces of coal
slack3 (also slack off) verb [intransitive]
to make less effort than usual, or to be lazy in your work:
He was accused of slacking and taking too many holidays.
| I |
adjective Language: Old English
Origin: sleac
1. hanging loosely, or not pulled tight Origin: sleac
OPP taut:
2. with less business activity than usual
SYN slow:
3. not taking enough care or making enough effort to do things correctly – used to show disapproval
SYN careless:
—slackly adverb
—slackness noun [uncountable]
| II |
noun1. take up/pick up the slack
a. to make a system or organization as efficient as possible by making sure that money, space, or people are fully used:
b. to do something that needs to be done because someone else is no longer doing it
c. to make a rope tighter
2. [uncountable] part of a rope that is not stretched tight
3. [uncountable] money, space, people, or time that an organization or person has available, but is not using fully:
4. cut/give somebody some slack spoken to allow someone to do something without criticizing them or making it more difficult:
5. slacks [plural] trousers:
6. [uncountable] British English very small pieces of coal
| III |
(also slack off) verb [intransitive]to make less effort than usual, or to be lazy in your work:
