low

The word "low" is the opposite of "high." If something is low, it’s not far from the ground:

• Ducks fly low to the ground.
• Towards evening, the sun is lower in the sky.
• Temperatures are low in the winter.
• His pants are too low. He needs to pull up his pants. (low pants = sagging. This is a trend among teens.)

Sometimes the word "low" is used for an insufficient amount:

• Your tires are low. They need more air.
• His salary is too low. He needs more money.
• We’re low on milk. We need to get some at the store.
• My car is low on gas. I need to fill up.
• Their income is too low to buy a house at this time.

It’s possible to use "low" when describing an opinion:

• She has a low opinion of her boss.
• The candidate’s favorability ratings are low. Few people trust him.
• She suffers from low self-esteem. (She lacks confidence or doesn’t think highly of herself.)
• That was a low thing to do. (That wasn’t very nice.)

To make something low is to lower it or bring it down. The word "lower" is a verb:

• The mechanic lowered the car on the lift when he finished his work.
• Some members of government want to lower the tax rate paid by middle-income Americans.
• The college lowered the number of applicants it would accept for next year.
• The minimum voting age in the United States was lowered from 21 to 18 in the 1970s.
• Steel beams were lowered into place by a large crane.

Those clouds are very low.

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January 26, 2015