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

Before taking time off, the band had settled into making sleek, shimmery retro-disco tracks like Dynamite and Butter - designed to appeal to the sort of listener who finds Bruno Mars too crass and abrasive.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

There are sleek composite bats that cost up to $450.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Ukraine's newly installed defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov waltzed on stage like a stand-up comedian to take the mic in front of journalists in Kyiv as a sleek slideshow zoomed across a map of the country.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

The design is sleek and simple, with a pink-and-white ombré paint job, the company’s name printed in lowercase, and a keypad for loading and unloading the cargo area.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026

I looked in the mirror at our reflection, at the twelve girls, sleek and shiny, pirouetting blurs of black, white and pink.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Related Words

• glistening
• polished
• satin
• shiny
• silky