slack vs shirk

slack is a noun but shirk is not a noun.

slack is an adjective but shirk is not an adjective.

slack and shirk both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
slack	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
shirk	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, shirk is a hypernym of slack; that is, shirk is a word with a broader meaning than slack:

slack: avoid responsibilities and work, be idle
shirk: avoid (one's assigned duties)

Other hypernyms of slack include fiddle, goldbrick, shrink from.

slack (noun)	shirk (noun)
a cord or rope or cable that is hanging loosely
the quality of being loose (not taut)
a stretch of water without current or movement
a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
a noticeable deterioration in performance or quality
dust consisting of a mixture of small coal fragments and coal dust and dirt that sifts out when coal is passed over a sieve

slack (adjective)	shirk (adjective)
not tense or taut
lacking in rigor or strictness
flowing with little speed as e.g. at the turning of the tide

slack (verb)	shirk (verb)
release tension on	avoid dealing with
make less active or fast	avoid (one's assigned duties)
make less active or intense
become slow or slower
cause to heat and crumble by treatment with water
become less in amount or intensity
be inattentive to, or neglect
avoid responsibilities and work, be idle

Difference between slack and shirk

© WordCmp.com 2024, CC-BY 4.0 / CC-BY-SA 3.0.