Teflon

American

[tef-lon] / ˈtɛf lɒn /

Trademark.

a fluorocarbon polymer with slippery, nonsticking properties; polytetrafluoroethylene.

adjective

characterized by imperviousness to blame or criticism.

a Teflon politician.

Teflon British

/ ˈtɛflɒn /

noun

polytetrafluoroethylene, when used in nonstick cooking vessels

"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

adjective

facetious denoting the ability to evade blame

the Teflon president

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Chemist Roy Plunkett accidentally created Teflon while experimenting with refrigerant gases.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

The chemical maker posted lower sales in the fourth quarter, driven by weakness in titanium dioxide and products in its advanced materials business, such as Teflon.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

Even just speaking up could dent his vaunted Teflon shield.

From Slate • Jan. 20, 2026

June 23, 2015: This is the final day to buy DuPont stock in order to receive shares in Chemours, a spinoff that will take over the manufacturing of Teflon and other chemicals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

They move fast and efficiently through dense mobs, as if they have a Teflon coat, very rarely bumping into one another.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023