Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. any form of depression; also in pl. the lows.

1958		H. Ellison Web of the City (1983) 96: Like some cat gets the lows. Tries to coot hisself with his belt.
1959		W. Brown Teen-Age Mafia 107: Don’t let Jose throw you, kid. He’s got a low on, is all.
1998		I. Welsh Filth 338: You were out of order that time with Karen. She was on a low and drunk and you took advantage.
2000		Hip-Hop Connection Jan. 78: It’s been a glittering career of weed-fuelled highs for Dr Dre but there’s been plenty of lows.
2018		I. Welsh Dead Man’s Trousers 86: The downer? [...] You dinnae get the lows, but ye sure as fuck miss the euphoria ay the highs.

2. (US drugs) a bad reaction to a drug; esp. the negative feelings that may follow the ‘high’ [opposite of high n. (1), and slightly contrived].

1961		L. Block Diet of Treacle (2008) 48: He had been high when he had picked her up [...] he had liked her even more, later, as a low started to come on.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 152: Seeing them there, so close like that just brought his low on bad.
2001		J. Stahl Plainclothes Naked (2002) 107: Just like that, his high was gone. Just like that, it was time for the low.

3. (US black) negative criticism.

1971

R.D. Pharr S.R.O. (1998) 109: The women around here are just naturally jealous of you and pick on you [...] but you don’t take low from nobody.