Lower

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: Low=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

Lower, a. 

 Compar. of Low, a.  [1913 Webster]

Lower, v. t. [From Low, a.].

•  To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down; as, to lower a bucket into a well; to lower a sail or a boat; sometimes, to pull down; as, to lower a flag.  [1913 Webster]

  "Lowered softly with a threefold cord of love
  Down to a silent grave."  [1913 Webster]
•  To reduce the height of; as, to lower a fence or wall; to lower a chimney or turret.  [1913 Webster]
•  To depress as to direction; as, to lower the aim of a gun; to make less elevated as to object; as, to lower one's ambition, aspirations, or hopes.  [1913 Webster]
•  To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of; as, to lower the temperature of anything; to lower one's vitality; to lower distilled liquors.  [1913 Webster]
•  To bring down; to humble; as, to lower one's pride.  [1913 Webster]
•  To reduce in value, amount, etc.; as, to lower the price of goods, the rate of interest, etc.  [1913 Webster]

Lower, v. i. 

 To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease; as, the river lowered as rapidly as it rose.  [1913 Webster]

Lower, v. i. [OE. lowren, luren; cf. D. loeren, LG. luren. G. lauern to lurk, to be on the watch, and E. leer, lurk.].

•  To be dark, gloomy, and threatening, as clouds; to be covered with dark and threatening clouds, as the sky; to show threatening signs of approach, as a tempest.  [1913 Webster]

  "All the clouds that lowered upon our house."  [1913 Webster]
•  To frown; to look sullen.  [1913 Webster]

  "But sullen discontent sat lowering on her face."  [1913 Webster]

Lower, n. 

•  Cloudiness; gloominess.  [1913 Webster]
•  A frowning; sullenness.  [1913 Webster]
•  relating to small or noncapital letters which were kept in the lower half of a compositor's type case.  [WordNet 1.5]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Lower, adj. & adv.
--adj. (compar. of LOW(1)).
1 less high in position or status.
2 situated below another part (lower lip; lower atmosphere).
3 a situated on less high land (Lower Egypt). b situated to the South (Lower California).
4 (of a mammal, plant, etc.) evolved to only a slight degree (e.g. a platypus or fungus).
--adv. in or to a lower position, status, etc.

Idiom

lower case see CASE(2). lower class working-class people and their families. lower-class adj. of the lower class. lower deck
1 the deck of a ship situated immediately over the hold.
2 the petty officers and men of a ship collectively. Lower House the larger and usu. elected body in a legislature, esp. the House of Commons. lower regions (or world) hell; the realm of the dead.

Derivative

lowermost adj.

Lower, v.
1 tr. let or haul down.
2 tr. & intr. make or become lower.
3 tr. reduce the height or pitch or elevation of (lower your voice; lower one's eyes).
4 tr. degrade.
5 tr. & intr. diminish.

Lower, var. of LOUR.

THESAURUS

Lower

abase, abash, abated, ablated, abridge, apprehend, approach, attenuated, await, bated, be imminent, be in store, bear down, beat down, belittle, belittled, bludgeon, bode, bore, break, brew, bring down, bring low, bulldoze, bump, burrow, bust, cast down, cave, cave in, cheapen, clip, color, come on, comminate, common, compress, condescend, confront, consumed, contracted, couch, countersink, croak, crop, crush, curtail, curtailed, cut, cut back, cut down, cut off, cut prices, damp, dampen, dampen the spirits, darken, darkle, dash, de-escalate, debase, decline, decrease, decreased, decry, deduct, deepen, deflate, deflated, degrade, deign, deject, delve, demean, demeaning, demit, demote, denounce, deplume, depreciate, depress, descend, detrude, devaluate, devalue, dig, dig out, dike, dim, diminish, diminished, disadvantaged, discount, discourage, discredit, disgrace, disgrade, dishearten, dispirit, displume, dissipated, dive, down, downbear, downgrade, draw near, draw nigh, draw on, dredge, drill, drive, droop, drop, dropped, dump, dump on, dusk, earlier, eroded, excavate, face, fall, fall in price, fallen, flop, flop down, flump, flump down, flush, forebode, forewarn, forthcome, founder, frown, furrow, gather, give way, glare, gloam, gloom, gloominess, glower, gnarl, go down, gouge, gouge out, grimace, groove, grow dark, grow dim, growl, grub, hang over, haul down, have a premonition, have a presentiment, hover, humble, humiliate, impend, in the shade, indent, inferior, infra dig, intimidate, jew down, junior, knit the brow, knock down, lapse, less, lessen, lesser, let down, lie over, long face, look black, look daggers, look sullen, look threatening, loom, low, lower case, lower the spirits, lowered, lowering, lowest, lowly, make a lip, make a moue, mantle, mark, mark down, menace, mine, miniaturized, minor, minuscule, moderate, modest, modulate, moue, mow, near, nether, nose-dive, oppress, ordinary, overhang, pare, peer, plop, plop down, plummet, plump, plunge, portend, pout, preapprehend, press down, pull down, push down, put down, quarry, quieten, redden, reduce, reduced, retrench, retrenched, roll back, sadden, sag, sap, scale down, scaled-down, scoop, scoop out, scowl, scrabble, scrape, scratch, second rank, second string, secondary, servile, set, set down, settle, settle down, shame, shave, shorn, shorten, shorter, shovel, shrunk, shrunken, simplify, sink, sink down, slash, slouch, slump, slump down, small, smaller, snap, snarl, soften, somber, somberness, sombrousness, spade, spit, stare, step down, stoop, strip of rank, sub, subaltern, subjacent, subject, submerge, subordinate, subservient, subside, swag, take down, take from, third rank, third string, threaten, thrust down, tone down, trench, trim, trip up, trough, tune down, tunnel, turn down, under, underprivileged, underprize, undervalue, utter threats against, vulgar, warn, watered-down, weakened, weigh heavy upon, weigh upon, worn, write down, write off, wry face

ROGET THESAURUS

Lower

Inferiority

N inferiority, minority, subordinacy, shortcoming, deficiency, minimum, smallness, imperfection, lower quality, lower worth, commonalty, inferior, smaller, small, minor, less, lesser, deficient, minus, lower, subordinate, secondary, secondrate, sub, subaltern, thrown into the shade, weighed in the balance and found wanting, not fit to hold a candle to, can't hold a candle to, least, smallest &c (little) (small), lowest, diminished, reduced, unimportant, less, under the mark, below the mark, below par, at the bottom of the scale, at a low ebb, at a disadvantage, short of, under.

Decrease

VB decrease, diminish, lessen, abridge, shrink, drop off, fall off, tail off, fall away, waste, wear, wane, ebb, decline, descend, subside, melt away, die away, retire into the shade, hide its diminished head, fall to a low ebb, run low, languish, decay, crumble, bate, abate, dequantitate, discount, depreciate, extenuate, lower, weaken, attenuate, fritter away, mitigate, dwarf, throw into the shade, reduce, shorten, subtract.

Dejection

VB be dejected, grieve, mourn, take on, give way, lose heart, despond, droop, sink, lower, look downcast, frown, pout, hang down the head, pull a long face, make a long face, laugh on the wrong side of the mouth, grin a ghastly smile, look blue, look like a drowned man, lay to heart, take to heart, mope, brood over, fret, sulk, pine, pine away, yearn, repine, despair, refrain from laughter, keep one's countenance, be grave, look grave, repress a smile, depress, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, damp, dull, deject, lower, sink, dash, knock down, unman, prostrate, break one's heart, frown upon, cast a gloom, cast a shade on, sadden, damp one's hopes, dash one's hopes, wither one's hopes, weigh on the mind, lie heavy on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, lie heavy on the spirits, prey on the spirits, damp the spirits, depress the spirits, be dejected, grieve, mourn, take on, give way, lose heart, despond, droop, sink, lower, look downcast, frown, pout, hang down the head, pull a long face, make a long face, laugh on the wrong side of the mouth, grin a ghastly smile, look blue, look like a drowned man, lay to heart, take to heart, mope, brood over, fret, sulk, pine, pine away, yearn, repine, despair, refrain from laughter, keep one's countenance, be grave, look grave, repress a smile, depress, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, damp, dull, deject, lower, sink, dash, knock down, unman, prostrate, break one's heart, frown upon, cast a gloom, cast a shade on, sadden, damp one's hopes, dash one's hopes, wither one's hopes, weigh on the mind, lie heavy on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, lie heavy on the spirits, prey on the spirits, damp the spirits, depress the spirits.

Lowness

VB be low, lie low, lie flat, underlie, crouch, slouch, wallow, grovel, lower.

Resentment

VB resent, take amiss, take ill, take to heart, take offense, take umbrage, take huff, take exception, take in ill part, take in bad part, take in dudgeon, ne pas entendre raillerie, breathe revenge, cut up rough, fly into a rage, fall into a rage, get into a rage, fly into a passion, bridle up, bristle up, froth up, fire up, flare up, open the vials of one's wrath, pour out the vials of one's wrath, pout, knit the brow, frown, scowl, lower, snarl, growl, gnarl, gnash, snap, redden, color, look black, look black as thunder, look daggers, bite one's thumb, show one's teeth, grind one's teeth, champ the bit, champ at the bit, chafe, mantle, fume, kindle, fly out, take fire, boil, boil over, boil with indignation, boil with rage, rage, storm, foam, vent one's rage, vent one's spleen, lose one's temper, stand on one's hind legs, stamp the foot, stamp with rage, quiver with rage, swell with rage, foam with rage, burst with anger, raise Cain, have a fling at, bear malice, cause anger, raise anger, affront, offend, give offense, give umbrage, anger, hurt the feelings, insult, discompose, fret, ruffle, nettle, huff, pique, excite, irritate, stir the blood, stir up bile, sting, sting to the quick, rile, provoke, chafe, wound, incense, inflame, enrage, aggravate, add fuel to the flame, fan into a flame, widen the breach, envenom, embitter, exasperate, infuriate, kindle wrath, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, hit on the raw, rub on the raw, sting on the raw, strike on the raw, put out of countenance, put out of humor, put one's monkey up, put one's back up, raise one's gorge, raise one's dander, raise one's choler, work up into a passion, make one's blood boil, make the ears tingle, throw, into a ferment, madden, drive one mad, lash into fury, lash into madness, fool to the top of one's bent, set by the ears, bring a hornet's nest about one's ears.

Sullenness

VB be sullen, sulk, frown, scowl, lower, glower, gloam, pout, have a hangdog look, glout.

Depression

VB depress, lower, let down, take down, let down a peg, take down a peg, cast, let drop, let fall, sink, debase, bring low, abase, reduce, detrude, pitch, precipitate, overthrow, overturn, overset, upset, subvert, prostate, level, fell, cast down, take down, throw down, fling down, dash down, pull down, cut down, knock down, hew down, raze, raze to the ground, rase to the ground, trample in the dust, pull about one's ears, sit, sit down, couch, squat, crouch, stoop, bend, bow, courtesy, curtsy, bob, duck, dip, kneel, bend the knee, bow the knee, bend the head, bow the head, cower, recline.

Darkness

VB be dark, darken, obscure, shade, dim, tone down, lower, overcast, overshadow, eclipse, obfuscate, offuscate, obumbrate, adumbrate, cast into the shade becloud, bedim, bedarken, cast a shade, throw a shade, spread a shade, cast a shadow, cast a gloom, throw a shadow, spread a shadow, cast gloom, throw gloom, spread gloom, extinguish, put out, blow out, snuff out, doubt, turn out the lights, douse the lights, dim the lights, turn off the lights, switch off the lights.

Dimness

VB be dim, grow dim, flicker, twinkle, glimmer, loom, lower, fade, pale, pale its ineffectual fire, render dim, dim, bedim, obscure, darken, tone down.

Prediction

VB predict, prognosticate, prophesy, vaticinate, divine, foretell, soothsay, augurate, tell fortunes, cast a horoscope, cast a nativity, advise, forewarn, presage, augur, bode, abode, forebode, foretoken, betoken, prefigure, preshow, portend, foreshow, foreshadow, shadow forth, typify, pretypify, ominate, signify, point to, usher in, herald, premise, announce, lower, hold out expectation, raise expectation, excite expectation, excite hope, bid fair, promise, lead one to expect, be the precursor, extrapolate, project.