Try Our Apps
Dictionary.com

follow Dictionary.com

The Best Internet Slang

sticky

[stik-ee] /ˈstɪk i/
adjective, stickier, stickiest.
1.
having the property of adhering, as glue; adhesive.
2.
covered with adhesive or viscid matter:
sticky hands.
3.
(of the weather or climate) hot and humid:
It was an unbearably sticky day.
4.
requiring careful treatment; awkwardly difficult:
a rather sticky diplomatic problem; Breaking the news is going to be sticky.
5.
Informal. unpleasant; unfortunate; nasty:
The villain of the story meets a sticky end.
noun, plural stickies.
6.
one of a number of small sheets of paper on a pad, each having an adhesive backing that allows it to be positioned and repositioned on smooth surfaces.
Origin of sticky
1720-1730
1720-30; 1910-15 for def 4; stick2 + -y1
Related forms
stickily, adverb
stickiness, noun
nonsticky, adjective
unsticky, adjective
Synonyms
3. muggy, sultry, damp, steamy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2017.
Cite This Source
British Dictionary definitions for unsticky

sticky

/ˈstɪkɪ/
adjective stickier, stickiest
1.
covered or daubed with an adhesive or viscous substance: sticky fingers
2.
having the property of sticking to a surface
3.
(of weather or atmosphere) warm and humid; muggy
4.
(of prices) tending not to fall in deflationary conditions
5.
(informal) difficult, awkward, or painful: a sticky business
6.
(US, informal) sentimental
7.
(of a website) encouraging users to visit repeatedly
verb stickies, stickying, stickied
8.
(transitive) (informal) to make sticky
noun (Austral, informal) (pl) stickies
9.
short for stickybeak
10.
an inquisitive look or stare (esp in the phrase have a sticky at)
Derived Forms
stickily, adverb
stickiness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cite This Source
Word Origin and History for unsticky

sticky

adj.

1727, "adhesive," from stick (v.). An Old English word for this was clibbor. First recorded 1864 in the sense of "sentimental;" 1915 with the meaning "difficult." Of weather, "hot and humid," from 1895. Sticky wicket is 1952, from British slang, in reference to cricket.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Slang definitions & phrases for unsticky

sticky

adjective

  1. Sentimental; schmaltzy, soppy: a sticky little song about a crippled puppy (1864+)
  2. Difficult; tricky; nasty: He considered himself a tap dancer, because he was very agile at gliding away from any sticky situation (1915+)

Related Terms

icky

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.
Cite This Source

Word of the Day

Difficulty index for sticky

Most English speakers likely know this word

Word Value for unsticky

0
0
Scrabble Words With Friends

Nearby words for unsticky

EVERYTHING AFTER Z