sticky

American  

[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.

   Synonyms:

   steamy, damp, sultry, muggy

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.

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noun

plural

stickies

1. 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.

sticky British  

/ ˈstɪkɪ /

adjective

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. informal sentimental

7. (of a website) encouraging users to visit repeatedly

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verb

1. informal (tr) to make sticky

noun

1. short for stickybeak

2. an inquisitive look or stare (esp in the phrase have a sticky at )

Other Word Forms

• nonsticky adjective
• stickily adverb
• stickiness noun
• unsticky adjective

Etymology

Origin of sticky

1720–30; 1910–15 sticky for def. 4; stick ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Consumers have plenty of cash to pay for all kinds of services, but rising prices are feeding into sticky inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Inflation, which measures the rate of price increases, has remained "sticky" after a period of steady falls.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Throughout November and December, people had come to Quirky and placed sticky notes on the door saying the store was not a nuisance.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Next, Barclays said industrial production in the U.S. continues to improve, while third, sticky inflation, underpinned by rising oil prices “should lift nominal EPS, especially for industrials, energy and pricing-power franchises.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026

The lid comes partway off, and cold, sticky liquid seeps through the fabric of my shirt.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

• awkward
• delicate
• heavy
• knotty
• rough
• thorny
• tricky