- comparative of slick.
slicker
1 Americannoun
noun
-
informal a sly or untrustworthy person (esp in the phrase city slicker )
-
a shiny raincoat, esp an oilskin
-
a small trowel used for smoothing the surfaces of a mould
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of slicker1
First recorded in 1880–85; slick + -er 1
Origin of slicker2
Explanation
A slicker is a waterproof garment you wear when it's pouring outside — in other words, a raincoat. Those dark clouds look ominous. Better grab your slicker before you go! Any kind of raincoat can be called a slicker, but it's an especially appropriate term for a waxy, smooth garment that repels drops of rain, like the yellow slickers fishermen often wear. If someone is described as a city slicker, it means that they're sophisticated, accustomed to life in the city, and that they have fancy taste — so don’t ask them to help you milk the cows on your farm.
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.
By 2015, as smartphones became ubiquitous, competitors like Resy, Tock, Reserve and SevenRooms pitched slicker apps for customers and iPad interfaces for restaurants, along with better business terms and access to diner data for establishments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Skiers have to re-don their skis at the top for one final climb, and Fatton was much slicker than Harrop, racing away to a lead she never looked likely to relinquish.
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
“Happiness is slicker, bouncier. Joy is wider, deeper.”
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2025
The city slicker in the paddock wiping manure off his shoe was Mohammed “Mo” Amer, the Palestinian-Texan comedian behind Netflix‘s acclaimed comedy “Mo.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2025
The rocks are cold under my hands, slicker than I expected.
From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
