(as|) slow as molasses
1
very low in speed
The idiom "slow as molasses" originates from the fact that molasses, a thick and viscous syrup obtained from the processing of sugarcane or sugar beets, has a very slow and deliberate flow. The comparison to molasses emphasizes something that moves at an extremely sluggish or slow pace. This expression is used to describe a situation, action, or person that moves at an exceptionally slow or glacial pace. It underscores a significant lack of speed or efficiency.
- The traffic on the highway was moving as slow as molasses due to the accident.
- Her computer is running slow as molasses, and it takes ages to load any program.
- The bureaucratic process for obtaining permits is slow as molasses; it's frustratingly slow.
- Progress on the construction site is as slow as molasses because of the bad weather.
- The snail in the garden seems to move faster than he does; he's slow as molasses.