lov|ing /lʌ v I ŋ/
1 ADJ Someone who is loving feels or shows love to other people. □ Jim was a most loving husband and father. □ The children there were very loving to me. ● lov|ing|ly ADV □ Brian gazed lovingly at Mary Ann.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Loving actions are done with great enjoyment and care. □ The house has been restored with loving care. ● lov|ing|ly ADV [ADV after v, oft ADV -ed] □ I lifted the box and ran my fingers lovingly over the top.
3 → see also peace-loving
low ◆◆◆ /loʊ / (lower , lowest , lows )
1 ADJ Something that is low measures only a short distance from the bottom to the top, or from the ground to the top. □ …the low garden wall that separated the front garden from next door. □ She put it down on the low table. □ The Leisure Center is a long and low modern building.
2 ADJ If something is low , it is close to the ground, to sea level, or to the bottom of something. □ He bumped his head on the low beams. □ It was late afternoon and the sun was low in the sky. □ They saw a government war plane make a series of low-level bombing raids.
3 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] When a river is low , it contains less water than usual. □ …pumps that guarantee a constant depth of water even when the supplying river is low.
4 ADJ You can use low to indicate that something is small in amount or that it is at the bottom of a particular scale. You can use phrases such as in the low 80s to indicate that a number or level is less than 85 but not as little as 80. □ British casualties remained remarkably low. □ They are still having to live on very low incomes. □ The temperature's in the low 40s.
5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Low is used to describe people who are not considered to be very important because they are near the bottom of a particular scale or system. □ She refused to promote Colin above the low rank of 'legal adviser'.
6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If something reaches a low of a particular amount or degree, that is its smallest amount or lowest level. □ [+ of ] Overnight temperatures fell to a low of -20°C in some areas. □ The dollar fell to a new low.
7 ADJ If you drive or ride a bicycle in a low gear, you use a gear, usually first or second, which gives you the most control over your car or bicycle when travelling slowly. □ She selected a low gear and started down the track carefully.
8 ADJ If the quality or standard of something is low , it is very poor. □ A school would not accept low-quality work from any student. □ …low-grade coal.
9 ADJ If a food or other substance is low in a particular ingredient, it contains only a small amount of that ingredient. □ [+ in ] They look for foods that are low in calories. ● COMB [usu ADJ n] Low is also a combining form. □ …low-sodium tomato sauce. □ Low-odour paints help make decorating so much easier.
10 ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe someone such as a student or a worker as a low achiever, you mean that they are not very good at their work, and do not achieve or produce as much as others. □ Low achievers in schools will receive priority.
11 ADJ If you have a low opinion of someone or something, you disapprove of them or dislike them. □ I have an extremely low opinion of the British tabloid newspapers.
12 ADJ You can use low to describe negative feelings and attitudes. □ We are all very tired and morale is low. □ People had very low expectations.
13 ADJ If a sound or noise is low , it is deep. □ Then suddenly she gave a low, choking moan and began to tremble violently. □ My voice has got so low now I was mistaken for a man the other day on the phone.
14 ADJ If someone's voice is low , it is quiet or soft. □ Her voice was so low he had to strain to catch it.
15 ADJ A light that is low is not bright or strong. □ Their eyesight is poor in low light.
16 ADJ If a radio, oven, or light is on low , it has been adjusted so that only a small amount of sound, heat, or light is produced. □ She turned her little kitchen radio on low. □ Buy a dimmer switch and keep the light on low, or switch it off altogether. □ Cook the sauce over a low heat until it boils and thickens.
17 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you are low on something or if a supply of it is low , there is not much of it left. □ [+ on ] We're a bit low on bed linen. □ World stocks of wheat were getting very low.
18 ADJ If you are low , you are depressed. [INFORMAL ] □ 'I didn't ask for this job, you know,' he tells friends when he is low.
19 → see also lower
20 PHRASE If you are lying low , you are hiding or not drawing attention to yourself. [INFORMAL ] □ Far from lying low, Kuti became more outspoken than ever.
21 to look high and low → see high
22 low profile → see profile
23 to be running low → see run COLLOCATIONS low NOUN 6
adjective + low : all-time, historic, new, record
verb + low : hit, plumb, reach
low|brow /loʊ braʊ/ also low-brow ADJ If you say that something is lowbrow , you mean that it is easy to understand or appreciate rather than intellectual and is therefore perhaps inferior. □ His choice of subject matter has been regarded as lowbrow. □ …low-brow novels.