What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Slack vs Pant - What's the difference?

slack | pant |

In obsolete terms the difference between slack and pant

is that slack is to mitigate; to reduce the strength of while pant is a violent palpitation of the heart.

As nouns the difference between slack and pant

is that slack is small coal; coal dust while pant is a quick breathing; a catching of the breath; a gasp.

As verbs the difference between slack and pant

is that slack is to slacken while pant is to breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion or from eagerness or excitement; to respire with heaving of the breast; to gasp.

As an adjective slack

is lax; not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly extended.

As an adverb slack

is slackly.

slack

English

Noun

  • (uncountable) Small coal; coal dust.
    • (Raymond)
  • (countable) A valley, or small, shallow dell.
  • (uncountable) The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it.
    • The slack of a rope or of a sail.
  • (countable) A tidal marsh or shallow, that periodically fills and drains.

    • Synonyms

    * culm * (tidal marsh) slough

    Derived terms

    * (coal dust) nutty slack

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Lax; not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly extended.
    • a slack rope
  • Weak; not holding fast.
    • a slack hand
  • Remiss; backward; not using due diligence or care; not earnest or eager.
    • slack in duty or service
  • * Bible, 2 Peter iii. 9
    • The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness.
  • Not violent, rapid, or pressing.
    • Business is slack .
  • * {{quote-book, year=1928, author=Lawrence R. Bourne
    • , title=Well Tackled! , chapter=3 citation , passage=“They know our boats will stand up to their work,” said Willison, “and that counts for a good deal. A low estimate from us doesn't mean scamped work, but just for that we want to keep the yard busy over a slack time.”}}
  • (slang, West Indies) vulgar; sexually explicit, especially in dancehall music

    • Synonyms

    * slow, moderate, easy

    Derived terms

    * slack-jawed

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Slackly.
    • slack dried hops

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To slacken.
  • * Robert South
    • In this business of growing rich, poor men should slack their pace.
  • (obsolete) To mitigate; to reduce the strength of.
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , III.7:
    • Ne did she let dull sleepe once to relent, / Nor wearinesse to slack her hast, but fled / Ever alike [...].
  • to procrastinate; to be lazy
  • to refuse to exert effort
  • To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake.
    • Lime slacks .

    Derived terms

    * skive off

    Anagrams

    * *

    pant

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), whence also English dialectal (m). Possibly from (etyl) (m), a byform or of (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A quick breathing; a catching of the breath; a gasp.
  • (obsolete) A violent palpitation of the heart.
    • (Shakespeare)
    References
    * *

    Verb

  • (ambitransitive) To breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion or from eagerness or excitement; to respire with heaving of the breast; to gasp.
  • * Dryden
    • Pluto plants for breath from out his cell.
  • * Shelley
    • There is a cavern where my spirit / Was panted forth in anguish.
    {{quote-Fanny Hill, part=2 , Charles had just slipp'd the bolt of the door, and running, caught me in his arms, and lifting me from the ground, with his lips glew'd to mine, bore me, trembling, panting , dying, with soft fears and tender wishes, to the bed}}
  • To long for (something); to be eager for (something).
  • * Herbert
    • Then shall our hearts pant thee.
  • To long eagerly; to desire earnestly.
  • * Bible, Psalms xlii. 1
    • As the hart panteth after the water brooks.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • Who pants for glory finds but short repose.
  • Of the heart, to beat with unnatural violence or rapidity; to palpitate.
    • (Spenser)
  • To sigh; to flutter; to languish.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • The whispering breeze / Pants on the leaves, and dies upon the trees.
    Synonyms
    * (breathe quickly or in a labored manner) gasp * (long for) crave, desire, long for, pine for * (long eagerly) crave, desire, long, pine * palpitate, pound, throb

    Etymology 2

    From pants

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (fashion) A pair of pants (trousers or underpants).
  • (used attributively as a modifier) Of or relating to pants.
    • Pant leg
    Derived terms
    * pant cuff * pant leg * pantsuit, pant suit * panty, panties

    Etymology 3

    Unknown

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a public drinking fountain in Scotland and North-East England

    • References

    * PMSA page with several examples * OED 2nd edition

    Anagrams

    * * English intransitive verbs English transitive verbs ----