slackened

Slackened is the past tense and past participle of the verb slacken. It describes the action of loosening or reducing something: loosening a physical constraint, lowering a rate or pace, or diminishing intensity or effort. The term is used across various domains, including engineering, sailing, sports, and everyday speech.

In mechanical and physical contexts, slackened components release tension when loads change, such as a rope slackening after a force is removed or a chain slackening to permit movement. In dynamics and performance, a process or activity may slacken, for example a pace that slackens as a race proceeds or a schedule that slackens due to delays. It can also describe a decline in intensity or urgency in non-physical situations, such as slackened effort or attention.

Etymology and usage: slackened derives from slacken, with the -en suffix forming the past tense and past participle. In most English varieties, the form slackened is used for both the past tense and past participle.

See also: slack, slackening, taut, tighten, relaxation.