sleek

¹

[sleek]

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

sleek

²

Also sleek·en

[sleek]

verb (used with object)

1. to make sleek; smooth; slick.

   to sleek leather.

sleek

/ 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

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

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

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sleek¹

C16: variant of _slick

Example Sentences

How did the shabby offices of the late 1700s, with their dim lights, coal-burning fireplaces and quill pens, evolve into the sleek, high-tech work environments that we know today?

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The production, a prestigious London import that opened at Studio 54 on Thursday under Icke’s smart and sleek direction, stars a charismatic Mark Strong in the title role.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

With an impeccable supporting cast and sleek design, Mr. Icke’s “Oedipus” grips the attention firmly across two intermissionless hours, even as it departs from the stylized forms of Greek tragedy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And unit 4 was hidden beneath a sleek gray-and-white frame, built to unload fuel from its storage pools.

Read more on Literature

You leave wanting a tangible memory of this experience and so, my suitcase was stuffed with sunglasses, a sleek tank top and enough Korean beauty products to warrant paying over $200 in overweight fees.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• glistening www.thesaurus.com
• polished 
• satin 
• shiny 
• silky