Main definitions of lower in English

• comparative of low

adjective

• 1Less high in position.

  ‘the lower levels of the building’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The proposal for a new building had a more plausible scale and circulation pattern in a somewhat lower structure.’
  • ‘Resuscitation may have dislodged it and allowed minute food particles to pass into the lower respiratory tract.’

  Synonyms

  bottom, bottommost, under, underneath, further down, beneath, nether

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  1. 1.1Less high in status or amount.
     ‘managers lower down the hierarchy’
     ‘lower costs will encourage people to buy’
     Synonyms

     subordinate, inferior, lesser, junior, minor, secondary, lower-level, lower-grade, subsidiary, ancillary, second-fiddle, subservient

     cheaper, reduced, decreased, lessened, curtailed, pruned, cut, slashed

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  2. 1.2(of an animal or plant) showing relatively primitive or simple characteristics.

• 2

  (also Lower)

  Geology Archaeology
  Denoting an older (and hence usually deeper) part of a stratigraphic division or archaeological deposit or the period in which it was formed or deposited.

  ‘Lower Cretaceous’

  ‘Lower Palaeolithic’

• 3in place names Situated to the south.

  ‘the union of Upper and Lower Egypt’

adverb

• In or into a lower position.

  ‘the sun sank lower’

verb

• 1Move (someone or something) in a downward direction.

  ‘he watched the coffin being lowered into the ground’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Upon the third ring, my other hand released his and I lowered my fist, moving away from the elder man and back to my laptop.’
  • ‘He lowered his hand, moving his focus to the paints and pencils and brushes that had been forgotten for so long.’
  • ‘He stood by as baskets of mutton and fish were lowered in together like coffins in a communal grave.’
  • ‘So ski patrollers finally slid along the cables, fitted the passengers with harnesses and lowered them to the ground one by one.’
  • ‘Mona stood still as the casket was lowered slowly into the ground.’
  • ‘He gently lowered his head and rested it on the cold glass.’
  • ‘He gently lowered her head from his shoulder onto the pillow and got off the bed.’
  • ‘The national red-and-white flag was then lowered to half-mast.’
  • ‘The new sonar is carefully lowered by crane into the water.’
  • ‘Everyone watched in silence as the Stars and Stripes and the Union flag were lowered to half-mast.’
  • ‘In Germany flags were lowered to half-mast at federal buildings.’
  • ‘Villagers cheered as the building was lowered by crane off a flatbed lorry.’
  • ‘As they watched, screens lowered from the ceiling to show the battle.’
  • ‘He turned to tap on his laptop and a plasma screen lowered from the ceiling.’
  • ‘The eagle touched down, and the platform slowly lowered down to the ground.’
  • ‘A mere glance upwards at a bright lamp caused it to lower from the domed ceiling.’
  • ‘A white disc is lowered into the water until it can no longer be seen.’
  • ‘Amidst the drizzle and the strong winds, the box was lowered into the water.’
  • ‘Mules, lowered by rope down the narrow shaft into the mine, were used in the early mining operations.’
  • ‘The first panel had been lowered into place and was being anchored.’

  Synonyms

  move down, let down, take down, haul down, drop, let fall, let sink

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  1. 1.1Make or become less in amount, intensity, or degree.
     with object ‘traffic speeds must be lowered’
     ‘she lowered her voice to a whisper’
     no object ‘temperatures lowered’
     More example sentences

     • ‘For instance, when Penn State students take off for the holidays, the temperatures in the buildings can be lowered to 55 degrees.’
     • ‘The problem isn't merely that standards must be lowered in order for the weaker students to pass.’
     • ‘Costs, already greatly reduced, must be lowered even further if the airline is to compete in an increasingly cut-throat word.’
     • ‘Each concluded that department standards had been lowered.’
     • ‘The temperature can gradually be lowered but should never be allowed to fall below 45 degrees.’
     • ‘Her voice lowered to a substantial degree, as if she spoke of something resentful.’
     • ‘The second act has him lowering his own moral standards to do what proves necessary to survive.’
     • ‘Then I remembered where we were and lowered my voice again to a whisper.’
     • ‘Once completed the speed limit will be lowered from 40 mph to 30 mph.’
     • ‘A tear glimmered and her voice lowered to a mere whisper.’
     • ‘Workers initially demanded a 24 percent wage increase which union officials lowered to 20 percent.’
     • ‘The Fed lowered its overnight bank lending rate to 1.25 percent, the lowest since 1961, in November.’
     • ‘But they may have to be lowered later to prevent the rest of the economy sliding back into recession.’
     • ‘The announcement regarding the move to lower its debt is expected to be accompanied by confirmation that it is to make job cuts across the group to cut costs.’
     • ‘We've seen tremendous moves made toward lowering the tension there.’
     • ‘The move was meant to lower prices and encourage the building of more power plants.’
     • ‘When countries like Korea moved to lower their interest rates their currencies appreciated.’
     • ‘Stronger signals, reduction in congestion and lowering the drop call rate are on the agenda.’
     • ‘That is something the Executive has refused to do, on the grounds it would lower esteem for children from broken homes.’
     • ‘Cost is still an important part of the equation, but technology can lower costs without any need to move offshore.’
     Synonyms

     soften, modulate, quieten, hush, tone down, muffle, turn down, mute

     reduce, decrease, lessen, bring down, diminish, curtail, prune, pare, pare down, ease up on, cause to fall, slim down, mark down, cut, slash, axe

     subside, fall, fall off, recede, ebb, wane

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  2. 1.2lower oneselfBehave in a way that is perceived as unworthy or debased.
     ‘he must really love her to be able to lower himself to this’
     More example sentences

     • ‘He lowers himself and the book by covering these topics.’
     • ‘It makes perfect sense for supermodels to love me, but there's really no reason for them to be lowering themselves to fools like Pete.’
     • ‘I think my greatest disappointment was really the commissioners' behavior with regard to lowering themselves to partisan politics.’
     • ‘Faced with the EU's biggest crisis for two decades - the French and Dutch rejection of the constitution - European politicians and much of the media are lowering themselves to the occasion.’
     • ‘I can't imagine the French lowering themselves to pay more attention to him than the other street performers on Parisian streets.’
     • ‘But does it not say something if they are still trying to get more money by lowering themselves to prostitution?’
     • ‘Apparently that friend saw Lindt's photo on my blog and felt Lindt was lowering himself to be associated with a empty vessel like myself.’
     • ‘She will not regard it as lowering herself, or pandering to the male chauvinist ego.’
     • ‘You have lowered yourself to an extent I didn't think was conceivable.’
     • ‘And so what if the media have lowered themselves to airing snuff films in an effort to boost ratings?’
     Synonyms

     degrade, debase, demean, abase, humble, humiliate, downgrade, discredit, shame, dishonour, disgrace

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verb

• 1Look angry or sullen; frown.

  ‘the lofty statue lowers at patients in the infirmary’

  1. 1.1(of the sky, weather, or landscape) look dark and threatening.

noun

• 1A scowl.

  1. 1.1A dark and gloomy appearance of the sky, weather or landscape.