Moving slowly isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes we’re tired, sometimes we’re just enjoying the moment, and other times—we’re stuck in the world’s slowest traffic jam. But how do you describe that turtle-paced moment in a way that’s fun and creative? That’s where similes come in. Similes use the words like or as to compare one thing to another, helping you paint a clearer picture in the reader’s mind.
In this article, we’ll explore 46 similes that describe all the different shades of slowness—from peaceful and steady to frustratingly sluggish. Each simile includes a meaning, a long example sentence to show it in action, and a few other creative ways to say the same thing. Let’s take a slow and steady stroll through them!
Similes for Slow
1. Slow as a snail
Meaning: Extremely slow.
In a Sentence: The old computer booted up as slow as a snail dragging a heavy shell up a sandy hill on a hot summer day.
Other Ways to Say: Sluggish as syrup, Moving at a crawl
2. Slow as molasses in January
Meaning: Painfully and unusually slow.
In a Sentence: His internet connection was slow as molasses in January, taking forever to load even a single page while he sat there staring at the spinning wheel of doom.
Other Ways to Say: Glacial speed, Slower than slow
3. Slow as a turtle crossing the road
Meaning: Very, very slow and cautious.
In a Sentence: The line at the post office was moving as slow as a turtle crossing the road while stopping to take a nap every few steps.
Other Ways to Say: Turtle-paced, Crawling along
4. Slow as a traffic jam on a Friday
Meaning: Unbearably slow and frustrating.
In a Sentence: Driving through the city during rush hour was as slow as a traffic jam on a Friday before a long holiday weekend, with honking horns and zero movement.
Other Ways to Say: Gridlocked, Like being stuck in glue
5. Slow as a sloth waking up
Meaning: Drowsily slow and lazy.
In a Sentence: On Monday morning, I got out of bed as slow as a sloth waking up after a ten-hour nap, stretching each limb like it was stuck in cement.
Other Ways to Say: Moving like a sloth, Lazy-paced
6. Slow as paint drying on a rainy day
Meaning: Mind-numbingly and painfully slow.
In a Sentence: Watching that documentary was as slow as paint drying on a rainy day, and I had to fight to keep my eyes open.
Other Ways to Say: Dragging on, Dull and slow
7. Slow as grass growing
Meaning: Extremely gradual and barely noticeable.
In a Sentence: The toddler’s hair was growing as slow as grass growing in the shade during a long winter with little sunlight.
Other Ways to Say: Barely changing, Glacial
8. Slow as a frozen river
Meaning: Still and hardly moving at all.
In a Sentence: The line at the amusement park moved as slow as a frozen river in the dead of winter, barely inching forward even after thirty minutes.
Other Ways to Say: Still as ice, Stuck in place
9. Slow as a grandpa on crutches
Meaning: Moving with great difficulty and care.
In a Sentence: He hobbled down the hallway as slow as a grandpa on crutches who stopped to catch his breath after every step.
Other Ways to Say: Cautious pace, Limping along
10. Slow as a glacier sliding downhill
Meaning: Progressing extremely slowly over time.
In a Sentence: The committee made decisions as slow as a glacier sliding downhill, taking months to reach even the simplest conclusion.
Other Ways to Say: Glacial speed, Ice-slow
11. Slow as a sleepy cat on a warm windowsill
Meaning: Leisurely and relaxed, with no sense of urgency.
In a Sentence: On Saturday morning, I moved around the kitchen as slow as a sleepy cat on a warm windowsill, taking my sweet time with every single task.
Other Ways to Say: Cozy-paced, Unhurried
12. Slow as a clock with a dying battery
Meaning: Ticking slowly and struggling to keep up.
In a Sentence: My brain was working as slow as a clock with a dying battery, with every thought taking a full minute to form.
Other Ways to Say: Mentally drained, Barely ticking
13. Slow as a sun setting behind a mountain
Meaning: Gentle and gradually fading away.
In a Sentence: The evening faded as slow as the sun setting behind a mountain, casting longer shadows with each peaceful minute.
Other Ways to Say: Gentle and fading, Gradual retreat
14. Slow as a boat rowing upstream
Meaning: Moving slowly with resistance or effort.
In a Sentence: Finishing that assignment felt as slow as rowing a boat upstream while the current kept pulling me backward.
Other Ways to Say: Struggling to progress, Against the current
15. Slow as an old man telling a story
Meaning: Long-winded and taking time.
In a Sentence: The lecture moved along as slow as an old man telling a story about the good old days, pausing after every sentence to remember the next detail.
Other Ways to Say: Rambling pace, Meandering
16. Slow as fog rolling over hills
Meaning: Gradually spreading and slow to arrive.
In a Sentence: The changes in his attitude came as slow as fog rolling over hills in the early morning, barely noticeable until everything was covered.
Other Ways to Say: Creeping in, Gently unfolding
17. Slow as a dropped feather drifting down
Meaning: Floating gently and very slowly.
In a Sentence: The balloon floated to the ground as slow as a dropped feather drifting down from the sky, taking its time in the breeze.
Other Ways to Say: Soft descent, Floating lazily
18. Slow as cold syrup
Meaning: Thick and sluggish in movement.
In a Sentence: The ketchup came out of the bottle as slow as cold syrup, inching its way toward the plate like it was in no rush to be eaten.
Other Ways to Say: Thick and slow, Syrupy pace
19. Slow as a Sunday morning
Meaning: Peacefully unhurried.
In a Sentence: Our walk through the quiet neighborhood was as slow as a Sunday morning, calm and full of sunshine with nowhere to be.
Other Ways to Say: Leisurely, Unrushed
20. Slow as a computer with 20 tabs open
Meaning: Struggling to function properly due to overload.
In a Sentence: My brain felt as slow as a computer with 20 tabs open, trying to do too much at once but accomplishing almost nothing.
Other Ways to Say: Lagging behind, Overloaded
21. Slow as a caterpillar crawling up a tree
Meaning: Taking small steps with steady effort.
In a Sentence: The project moved forward as slow as a caterpillar crawling up a tree, inch by inch, deadline after deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Steady but slow, Step-by-step progress
22. Slow as a day without Wi-Fi
Meaning: A painfully long and boring experience.
In a Sentence: Waiting for my turn felt as slow as a day without Wi-Fi, where every minute felt like an hour of staring at the wall.
Other Ways to Say: Dragging on, Endless wait
23. Slow as an elevator with too many stops
Meaning: Constant interruptions slowing progress.
In a Sentence: Getting through the meeting was as slow as riding an elevator with too many stops, pausing just when things started moving.
Other Ways to Say: Frequently interrupted, Stop-and-go slow
24. Slow as honey on a cold day
Meaning: Thick and unmoving due to the cold.
In a Sentence: My motivation was as slow as honey on a cold day, thick and unwilling to move no matter how hard I tried.
Other Ways to Say: Sluggish, Frozen in place
25. Slow as a parade down Main Street
Meaning: Festively slow and full of pauses.
In a Sentence: The progress in that class was as slow as a parade down Main Street, with stops, starts, and a lot of waiting in between.
Other Ways to Say: Long and drawn out, Taking its time
26. Slow as a shadow moving across the lawn
Meaning: Gradual and nearly invisible in motion.
In a Sentence: The afternoon slipped away as slow as a shadow moving across the lawn, so gentle you didn’t notice until it was gone.
Other Ways to Say: Subtle pace, Fading slowly
27. Slow as a bedtime story with yawns
Meaning: Soothing and slow-paced.
In a Sentence: His explanation was as slow as a bedtime story with yawns, calming enough to make half the class doze off.
Other Ways to Say: Sleepy pace, Lullaby slow
28. Slow as a page-turner with missing pages
Meaning: Frustratingly slow with interruptions.
In a Sentence: The book read as slow as a page-turner with missing pages, with every missing word dragging down the excitement.
Other Ways to Say: Incomplete and slow, Patchy progress
29. Slow as a line at the DMV
Meaning: Infamously slow and frustrating.
In a Sentence: Getting through airport security was as slow as a line at the DMV, with every person in front needing extra help.
Other Ways to Say: Bureaucratic pace, Painfully slow
30. Slow as winter turning into spring
Meaning: A gradual, seasonal transition.
In a Sentence: Her healing after surgery was as slow as winter turning into spring, with small signs of progress blooming little by little.
Other Ways to Say: Gradual recovery, Coming around slowly
31. Slow as a yawning dog on a hot day
Meaning: Lazily relaxed and calm.
In a Sentence: The summer afternoon passed as slow as a yawning dog on a hot day, too warm to move quickly or care at all.
Other Ways to Say: Laid-back pace, Heatwave slow
32. Slow as a bedtime lullaby
Meaning: Calm and sleep-inducing in its slowness.
In a Sentence: The teacher’s voice during the history lesson was as slow as a bedtime lullaby, gently pulling everyone toward dreamland.
Other Ways to Say: Sleepy-slow, Soothingly slow
33. Slow as a sloth on vacation
Meaning: Completely relaxed and unbothered about time.
In a Sentence: On Sunday, I did chores as slow as a sloth on vacation, with zero urgency and maximum daydreaming.
Other Ways to Say: Leisure-mode slow, On cruise control
34. Slow as a movie with too many pauses
Meaning: Pacing interrupted too often to feel exciting.
In a Sentence: That documentary felt as slow as a movie with too many pauses, stopping every five minutes for commentary that didn’t help.
Other Ways to Say: Stalled and stuttered, Slow-motion boredom
35. Slow as butter melting on toast
Meaning: Gently easing into something.
In a Sentence: The morning started as slow as butter melting on toast, with each moment soft and warm but without hurry.
Other Ways to Say: Smooth and gradual, Comfortably slow
36. Slow as a blinking traffic light
Meaning: Predictably repeating, but not progressing.
In a Sentence: His progress on the assignment was as slow as a blinking traffic light stuck on yellow, going nowhere but flashing away.
Other Ways to Say: Repetitive slowness, Looping delay
37. Slow as a melted ice cube in the freezer
Meaning: Barely changing over time.
In a Sentence: The negotiation moved as slow as a melted ice cube in the freezer, refusing to form into anything solid.
Other Ways to Say: No momentum, Frozen effort
38. Slow as a child tying their first shoe
Meaning: Learning slowly and carefully.
In a Sentence: He typed the report as slow as a child tying their first shoe, checking every step and still getting the knot wrong.
Other Ways to Say: First-time fumble, Cautiously slow
39. Slow as pudding on a tilted plate
Meaning: Barely sliding, almost still.
In a Sentence: The jelly rolled across the plate as slow as pudding on a tilted plate, jiggling but barely moving forward.
Other Ways to Say: Slippy-slow, Wobbly crawl
40. Slow as a sleepy morning fog
Meaning: Calm and dreamy with delayed motion.
In a Sentence: My mind was as slow as a sleepy morning fog, wrapping around thoughts without ever quite landing on them.
Other Ways to Say: Dreamlike pace, Foggy brain
41. Slow as a leaf floating downstream
Meaning: Peacefully slow, with little urgency.
In a Sentence: Time passed as slow as a leaf floating downstream, gently bobbing along with no destination in mind.
Other Ways to Say: Meandering pace, Drifting along
42. Slow as an old film reel
Meaning: Old-fashioned and plodding.
In a Sentence: The slideshow moved as slow as an old film reel clicking along, one slide at a time with long pauses in between.
Other Ways to Say: Vintage-slow, Frame-by-frame
43. Slow as a moonrise
Meaning: Beautiful but gradually slow.
In a Sentence: The party came alive as slow as a moonrise, beginning in soft glimmers and reaching brightness only by midnight.
Other Ways to Say: Gently arriving, Quiet buildup
44. Slow as an echo in a canyon
Meaning: Delayed and repeating.
In a Sentence: Her reaction was as slow as an echo in a canyon, bouncing back after everyone had already moved on.
Other Ways to Say: Late to react, Reverb-slow
45. Slow as a yawn spreading through a room
Meaning: Contagiously slow and sleepy.
In a Sentence: The boredom was as slow as a yawn spreading through a room—once it started, everyone else followed.
Other Ways to Say: Chain-reaction slow, Collective sluggishness
46. Slow as a frozen clock in a dream
Meaning: Almost unreal in how slow it feels.
In a Sentence: The final ten minutes of class ticked by as slow as a frozen clock in a dream, where time itself refused to move.
Other Ways to Say: Timeless slow, Surreal slowness
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the best simile:
- The line at the DMV was as slow as a _______.
- Her healing process was as slow as _______ turning into spring.
- That movie dragged on as slow as _______ on a cold day.
- I typed my essay as slow as a _______ tying their first shoe.
- The party started as slow as a _______ behind the mountains.
- He reacted as slow as an _______ bouncing in a canyon.
- My old computer is slow as _______ in January.
- Her thoughts drifted in as slow as a _______ on a sleepy river.
- The teacher’s voice was slow as a _______ lullaby.
- The balloon fell as slow as a _______ drifting through the breeze.
Answers:
- line at the DMV
- winter
- honey
- child
- moonrise
- echo
- molasses
- leaf
- bedtime
- feather
Conclusion
Similes make writing more vivid by comparing ordinary things to relatable, everyday images. When you want to describe something moving slowly—whether it’s peaceful like a leaf in the breeze or frustrating like a snail in traffic—similes give you the words to do it right. Try using these slow similes in your own writing, and your descriptions will never drag again.