slow to improve

USAGE SUMMARY

"slow to improve" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe a situation or condition that is taking a long time to get better. For example, "The patient's recovery was slow to improve despite the treatment." Alternative expressions include "gradually improving" and "taking time to improve."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

19 human-written examples

Although democracy came, and eventually peace, social conditions have been slow to improve.

The Economist

His victory was seen as a major help for the president, whose policies have been slow to improve the economy.

The New York Times

The problem is that we are so very adept at exploring our own deficiencies but so very slow to improve on them or to learn from them.

The Guardian

Australia's team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said Clarke's injury, which troubled him during the ODI series in England, had been slow to improve with his regular treatment regime.

The Guardian - Sport

Besides preserving its historic architecture, St Petersburg has also been slow to improve quality of life, and a controversial plan to reconstruct the city centre was recently cancelled.

The Guardian

Some progress has been made since a new governor was elected in 2000, but life has generally been slow to improve.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

41 human-written examples

Nepal, for example, improved health and living standards but was slower to improve education or widen access to drinking water.

The Economist

Testing experts said that elementary school teachers tend to be better trained in reading instruction than math instruction, so their students are slower to improve in math.

The New York Times

TfL could be slower to improve the new services than in the past because its budget is under extreme pressure, however.

Independent

This is consistent with data from our previous studies, showing that striatum activation was associated with proactive adjustments of response strategies, such as response slowing to improve stopping performance [7], [13].

Plosone

HRQoL has previously been found to be slower to improve post-operatively than pain or physical function.

Bone and Joint Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "slow to improve" when you want to emphasize that while progress is happening, it is not meeting the desired or expected speed. It is particularly effective in medical contexts (patient recovery) or economic reporting (wage growth or market conditions).

Common error

Avoid confusing this with "slowly improving". While similar, "slow to improve" functions as an adjective phrase describing a subject's state, whereas "slowly improving" focuses on the action of the improvement itself. Choose "slow to improve" when the delay is the primary observation you want to convey.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "slow to improve" primarily functions as an adjective phrase consisting of the adjective "slow" followed by an infinitive "to improve". It typically acts as a subject complement following a linking verb (e.g., "conditions were slow to improve"). As noted in Ludwig, it is used to characterize the rate of change of a specific condition, person, or entity.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Social Media

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "slow to improve" is a highly reliable and grammatically correct phrase used to describe situations where progress is delayed or sluggish. Analysis from Ludwig AI shows a strong presence in elite journalistic sources like The New York Times and The Economist, as well as in scientific literature. Whether you are describing an athlete's injury recovery, the growth of wages in a specific economy, or the implementation of new standards in education, this phrase provides a clear and professional way to indicate that the rate of improvement is not as fast as one might hope. Use it to provide an objective assessment of a subject's state when the time factor is as important as the improvement itself.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sluggish to advance

Emphasizes a heavy or lacking energy in the progression.

late to show improvement

Focuses on the delay before positive changes become visible.

gradual in its progress

Provides a more neutral, process-oriented description of slow change.

taking time to get better

A more colloquial and less formal way to express the same sentiment.

showing little headway

Focuses on the lack of distance or significant result achieved.

stagnant in recovery

Implies almost no movement at all, which is more extreme than just being slow.

resistant to change

Suggests an active barrier or opposition to the improvement process.

languid in development

Uses more descriptive, almost poetic language to describe a slow pace.

lagging behind expectations

Compares the current pace specifically to a predefined benchmark or goal.

slow-to-better

A hyphenated adjectival form often used directly before a noun.

FAQs

How to use "slow to improve" in a sentence?

You can use it after a linking verb to describe a subject, for example: "The patient's condition was "slow to improve" despite the new medication."

What can I say instead of "slow to improve"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "gradually improving", "sluggish", or "late to show progress".

What is the difference between "slow to improve" and "slowly improving"?

The phrase "slow to improve" highlights the delay or the subject's difficulty in getting better, while "slowly improving" describes the manner in which the improvement is currently happening.

Is "slow to improve" formal enough for a report?

Yes, it is perfectly acceptable in professional and academic writing. It appears frequently in reputable sources such as "The New York Times" and various scientific journals.