at a snail's pace

at a snail's pace

Very slowly (as a snail is known to move very slowly). My research is moving at a snail's pace—every experiment I've tried so far has failed. We'll never get there on time with you driving at a snail's pace!
See also: pace

snail's pace

A very slow, arduous pace or rate. My research is moving at a snail's pace—every experiment I've tried so far has failed. We're never going to recoup our development costs if the snail's pace of these sales doesn't pick up.
See also: pace
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

at a snail's pace

 and at a snail's gallop
very slowly. Things are moving along at a snail's pace here, but we'll finish on time—have no fear. Poor old Wally is creeping at a snail's gallop because his car has a flat tire.
See also: pace
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

snail's pace

A very slow pace, as in They're making progress with testing the new vaccine, but at a snail's pace. [c. 1400]
See also: pace
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

at a snail's pace

COMMON If something is moving or happening at a snail's pace, it is moving or happening very slowly. The vote counting continues at a snail's pace but already clear results are emerging. The economy grew at a snail's pace in the first three months of this year. She was driving at a snail's pace, looking in every house. Note: You can also use snail's pace before a noun. Observers hope that the meeting will speed up two years of snail's-pace progress. Note: You usually use this expression when you think that it would be better if it went more quickly.
See also: pace
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

at a snail's pace

extremely slowly.
See also: pace
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

at a ˈsnail’s pace

(informal) very slowly: My grandmother drove the car at a snail’s pace.
See also: pace
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

at a snail’s pace

and at a snail’s gallop
mod. very slowly. Poor old Willy is creeping at a snail’s gallop because his car has a flat tire. The building project is coming along at a snail’s pace.
See also: pace
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

at a snail's pace

Very slowly. The slowness of snails was pointed out about 200 b.c. by the Roman poet Plautus and the term “snail’s pace” in English goes back to about 1400. Relative to its size, however, a snail travels a considerable distance each day, using the undersurface of its muscular foot to propel itself.
See also: pace
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • at a snail’s pace
  • at a snail's gallop
  • gallop
  • snail
  • at a snail’s gallop
  • snail's pace
  • tick past
  • filter in
  • filter in(to) (some place)
  • fade out
References in periodicals archive
I am hoping that someday we will all manage to finish this race at the end of this empty street, but not anymore at a snail's pace.
At a snail's pace
"I've been nudging [the state's pension plans] for two years on this, and they've been operating at a snail's pace when it comes to bringing in emerging firms," complains Jones.
Pension fund laws sought
Conservationists say the gastropods are easy prey for the thieves because, yes, you've guessed it, they move at a snail's pace.
SLIMEBALLS!
Cars crawled along the eastbound lanes of the busy motorway as a convoy of hauliers drove at a snail's pace from Cross Hands in west Wales towards Newport 90 miles away.
M4 HIT BY FUEL PROTEST
Such motion is extremely difficult to detect because at a great distance from Earth, even a speedy galaxy appears to cross the sky at a snail's pace. In their study, the astronomers compared photographs, taken 15 years apart at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in La Serena, Chile, of a star-packed region at the LMC's northeastern edge.
Nearby galaxy sheds light on dark matter
Ordinarily, evolution seems to amble along at a snail's pace. But given the opportunity, it can bound ahead.
Evolution's rapid shrinkage
Anyone who has driven, at a snail's pace, through so-called roadworks with not a worker in sight might feel inclined to ask: "That long?"
Highway robbery
Most abzymes made so far work at a snail's pace compared with the enzymes found inside cells.
Catalytic antibodies do greasy work
What's more, it cost taxpayers a whopping EUR60million for the privilege to travel at a snail's pace on Dublin Buses.
City's travellers need fare deal
Waxman, the subcommittee chairman, "EPA's regulatory efforts to deal with the issue have moved at a snail's pace, if they've moved at all.'
Water, water everywhere, but...
THEY used to call it the information superhighway, but internet property services are still moving at a snail's pace. A survey by www.estateangels.co.uk found that, of people making enquiries to online estate agents, only one in five got a prompt reply and a quarter said they were ignored completely.
ON THE MOVE: Hardly estate of the art
At a snail's pace, it flows down to the sea, where it replenishes the parts of the ice sheet that break off.
Huge ice cube in Antarctic waters
COUNTRYSIDE campaigners caused chaos yesterday by blockading major routes between Scotland and England by driving at a snail's pace.
Rural rebel car chaos