sleek

¹ American  

[sleek] / slik /

adjective

sleeker, sleekest

1. smooth or glossy, as hair, an animal, etc.

2. well-fed or well-groomed.

3. trim and graceful; finely contoured; streamlined.

   a sleek sports car.

4. smooth in manners, speech, etc.; suave.

5. cleverly or deceitfully skillful; slick.

   a sleek confidence man.

   Synonyms:

   slippery, shady, glib, shrewd, artful, smooth, refined, polished

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sleek ² American  

[sleek] / slik /

Also sleeken

verb (used with object)

1. to make sleek; smooth; slick.

   to sleek leather.

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sleek British  

/ sliːk /

adjective

1. smooth and shiny; polished

2. polished in speech or behaviour; unctuous

3. (of an animal or bird) having a shiny healthy coat or feathers

4. (of a person) having a prosperous appearance

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verb

1. to make smooth and glossy, as by grooming, etc

2. (usually foll by over) to cover (up), as by making more agreeable; gloss (over)

Other Word Forms

• sleeker noun
• sleekly adverb
• sleekness noun
• sleeky adjective

Etymology

Origin of sleek¹

First recorded in 1580–90; variant of slick

Origin of sleek²

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English sleken, variant of slick

Example Sentences

"Europe's security under construction" boasts the slogan on an eye-catching set of sleek black-and-white photographs, festooned across a scaffolding-clad church on one of this town's best known pedestrian boulevards.

From BBC

“Do nothing for a while. the machine needs a update. the competiion is sleeker and better,” he counseled.

From The Wall Street Journal

The latter even gets a sleek musical number.

From Los Angeles Times

Safety concerns have risen in China recently over sleek, aerodynamic car doors that reduce drag but are prone to losing operability in the event of a crash.

From Barron's

Or is it a sleek, modern home perched atop a mountain where the nearest grocery store is miles and miles away?

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• glistening
• polished
• satin
• shiny
• silky