What does "lowering" mean?
The act of something being lowered.
Lowering
/ˈləʊ.ə.ɹɪŋ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of something being lowered.
- Grammar: lowering is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abatement, abatement, about to be, abridgment.
- Useful contrasts: ascendent, upward movement trend, upwards.
- Usage evidence: Sadako watched the sun lowering in the west and became blind.
How to use "lowering"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lowering" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lowering" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lowering" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lowering" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lowering" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abatement" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lowering", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of something being lowered.
"Speeds up to 90 m.p.h. were permitted and achieved on the regular daily main line services, but as the pressure of external demands imposed on the railways by the needs of war increased it became necessary to accept handicaps which resulted in a general lowering of standards of track conditions."
- 2 Alternative form of louring. alt-of, alternative
- 3 the act of causing something to move to a lower level wordnet
- 4 A sound change in which a vowel or consonant becomes lower.
- 5 the act of causing to become less wordnet
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of lower form-of, gerund, participle, present
"Ahead of us the lowering smoke-screen of Leeds and her gloomy satellites hung like an incubus over the land."
Adjective
- 1 Dark and menacing.
"The morning had been intensely hot, with but little wind; and the lowering gloomy aspect of the clouds appeared to indicate the approach of one of those sudden gales peculiar to tropical climates, and which, although of short duration, are generally productive of mischief."
- 2 That lowers or frowns.
"One glance sufficed to identify the intruder, for none but he could boast of such a dark, lowering countenance ; and all exclaimed in mingled wonder and terror at his unwonted presence in those sunlit regions:"
- 3 Lurking, skulking, menacing.
"Klimov put on his greatcoat mechanically and left the train, and he felt as though it were not himself walking, but some one else, a stranger, and he felt that he was accompanied by the heat of the train, his thirst, and the ominous, lowering figures which all night long had prevented his sleeping."
Adjective
- 1 darkened by clouds wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Sadako watched the sun lowering in the west and became blind."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lowering"?
Common synonyms include: abatement, abatement, about to be, abridgment, abusive, acheronian.
How do you use "lowering" in a sentence?
Sadako watched the sun lowering in the west and became blind.
How do you pronounce "lowering"?
Pronounced /ˈləʊ.ə.ɹɪŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
c. 1600, "descend, sink, grow less or lower" (intransitive), from lower (adj.), comparative of low (adj.). Transitive meaning "let down, cause to descend" attested from 1650s. Related: Lowered; lowering. In the transitive sense "to cause to descend" the older verb was low. From Middle English lahghenn, (c. 1200), which continued in use into the 18c.
Etymology 2
From Middle English louryng, louringe, lowrynge, later variant of lourand, lowrand, lourande, lowrande, equivalent to lour + -ing. Cognate with Dutch loerend (“lurking, louring”).