Nanohydrozincite represented the higher retardation efect than nanozinc, where it not only retards the early hydra- tion of alkali-activated slag through the formation of zinc hydroxide and calcium zincate hydrate, but also by the for- mation of pirssonite double salt accompanied by the con- sumption of much calcium content required for hardening. • The retardation process of both nanozinc sources resulted in increasing the available relative humidity inside samples, resulting in increasing the drying shrinkage. All mixtures con- taining nanohydrozincite recorded the highest drying shrink- age. • Although nanozinc oxide and nanohydrozincite retard the hydration rate of alkali-activated slag, they increased the later strengths signifcantly, especially at low nanomaterials dosage (0.5 wt%). • The energy dispersive spectroscopy confrmed that adding 0.5 wt% nanohydrozincite caused the formation of calcium aluminum silicate hydrate with calcium to silica ratio lower than that formed inside control sample or mixtures hav- ing nanozinc oxide. This was associated with a signifcant increase in the later compressive strengths (28–365 days). • Adding some accelerators is recommended to be used in the future work to compensate the early strength loss caused by the retardation efect of nanohydrozincite.