SLOUGH Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'slough' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of slough are cast , discard , junk , scrap , and shed . While all these words mean "to get rid of," shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster. // shed a bad habit // finally sloughed off the depression

Q: When is it sensible to use 'cast' instead of 'slough'?

The words cast and slough can be used in similar contexts, but cast , especially when used with off, away , or out , implies a forceful rejection or repudiation. // cast off her friends

Q: When might 'discard' be a better fit than 'slough'?

The meanings of discard and slough largely overlap; however, discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless. // discard old clothes

Q: How do 'scrap' and 'junk' relate to one another, in the sense of 'slough'?

Both scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form. // scrap all the old ways // would junk our educational system

slough 1 of 3

noun

ˈslü

variants also slew or slue

Definition of slough

as in marsh

spongy land saturated or partially covered with water the land for miles around the lake is strewn with ponds, sloughs, and mudflats

Synonyms & Similar Words

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slough

2 of 3

verb (1)

as in to shuffle

to move heavily or clumsily the unpleasant task of sloughing through the muck to retrieve the ball

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

slough

3 of 3

verb (2)

ˈsləf

variants also sluff

as in to shed

to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside the snake is sloughing its old skin

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word slough different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of slough are cast, discard, junk, scrap, and shed. While all these words mean "to get rid of," shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit

finally sloughed off the depression

When is it sensible to use cast instead of slough?

The words cast and slough can be used in similar contexts, but cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

When might discard be a better fit than slough?

The meanings of discard and slough largely overlap; however, discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

How do scrap and junk relate to one another, in the sense of slough?

Both scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways

would junk our educational system

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of slough

Noun

Kao kicked off 2020 by making plans to spend $300,000 at a slew of political fundraisers, according to text messages filed in court and a recent deposition. — Molly Redden, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2026 Morale will need tweaking, budgets adjusting and a slew of new lunches will be scheduled. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

The Village Photographer Madeleine de Sinéty sloughed off her aristocratic upbringing and spent her life capturing small-town life in Brittany and Maine. — The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026 It’s also packed with a slew of cleansing agents that are known for effectively sloughing away gunk while being gentle enough not to damage the skin barrier. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for slough

Recent Examples of Synonyms for slough

Noun

Viewed from the waters of Turner Creek, a serpentine tributary east of Savannah, the dock stretches so far across the marsh that even those with 20-20 vision must squint to see where planking meets terra firma.

— Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Before the healing process was complete, however, Scotty died in what scientists believe was a salty marsh.

— Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of marsh

Verb

Rose soon shed their Americana trappings, publicly embraced their queerness, and revamped their musical identity.

— Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
Following news that SpaceX is in talks to access as many as 80,000 cell sites to grab market share from the Big Three telecoms, some analysts on Wall Street are making a key distinction that may shed light on SpaceX's strategy.

— Tobias Burns, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of shed

Noun

In Uganda and Rwanda, mushroom cultivation provides households with income while easing the pressure on wetland areas that support threatened cranes.

— John Cannon, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Landowner Wayne Cooke wanted to sell when Costco put forward a development proposal in 2015, but the project couldn’t secure approval from the wetlands board.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of wetland

Verb

There was upset after upset, and a few teams were on the verge of stumbling as well.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Next week will bring major risks for a stock market that's trying to find its footing as the AI trade continues to stumble, with several megacap earnings, a Federal Reserve meeting and a key inflation report in store.

— Sarah Min, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of stumble

Noun

South Carolina went into the swamp and beat the Gators 38-19.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The bog and its cousins the swamp and marsh have always occupied a certain niche in popular culture, but more recently these landscapes are enjoying broader appeal.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of swamp

Verb

His creator, an unnamed basket-weaver (Peter Dinklage), braided him as a mate for a lonely virgin, a fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who stomps around her rustic village smelling like sushi and tossing her head back in an Eliza Doolittle guffaw.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
But wrap a play in too much homespun folksiness and the thing starts to feel both suffocating and, despite all the driving tunes and stomping choreography in the world, suffocated.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of stomp

Verb

Armed with her first name and a job title, Lee barges into the PD’s office to offer Ginger his services.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
Three gunmen barged into a small house in an impoverished neighborhood in South Africa and opened fire on a group enjoying a party inside, killing at least 11 people including a pregnant woman, police and local authorities said Wednesday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of barge

Browse Nearby Words

slouching

slough

sloughed

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“Slough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slough. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of slough

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Synonyms of slough

noun

verb (1)

verb (2)

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Phrases Containing slough

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Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on slough

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