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be quick/slow on the uptake

informal

Definition

If someone is quick/slow on the uptake they understand things easily/with difficulty: He's a bit slow on the uptake, so you may have to repeat the instructions a few times.IntelligencePerceptiveStupid and sillyOf unsound mind
(Definition of be quick/slow on the uptake from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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