slide
Americanverb (used without object)
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slides,
present (3rd person singular)
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slid,
past participle, past
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slidden,
past participle
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sliding
present participle
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to move along in continuous contact with a smooth or slippery surface.
to slide down a snow-covered hill.
- Synonyms:
- slither
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to slip or skid.
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to glide or pass smoothly.
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to slip easily, quietly, or unobtrusively on or as if on a track, channel, or guide rail (usually followed by in, out, away, etc.).
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to pass or fall gradually into a specified state, character, practice, etc.
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to decline or decrease.
Interest rates are beginning to slide.
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Baseball. (of a base runner) to cast oneself, usually feet first, forward along the ground in the direction of the base being approached, to present less of a target for a baseman attempting to make a tag.
verb (used with object)
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slides,
present (3rd person singular)
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slid,
past participle, past
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slidden,
past participle
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sliding
present participle
-
to cause to slide, slip, or coast, as over a surface or with a smooth, gliding motion.
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to hand, pass along, or slip (something) easily or quietly (usually followed by in, into, etc.).
to slide a note into someone's hand.
noun
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slides
plural
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an act or instance of sliding.
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a smooth surface for sliding on, especially a type of chute in a playground.
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an object intended to slide.
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Geology.
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a landslide or the like.
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the mass of matter sliding down.
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a single transparency, object, or image for projection in a projector, as a lantern slide.
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Photography. a small positive color transparency mounted for projection on a screen or magnification through a viewer.
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a usually rectangular plate of glass on which objects are placed for microscopic examination.
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Furniture. a shelf sliding into the body of a piece when not in use.
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Music.
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an embellishment consisting of an upward or downward series of three or more tones, the last of which is the principal tone.
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a portamento.
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a U -shaped section of the tube of an instrument of the trumpet class, as the trombone, that can be pushed in or out to alter the length of the air column and change the pitch.
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a vehicle mounted on runners, for conveying loads, as of grain or wood, especially over a level surface.
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(of a machine or mechanism)
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a moving part working on a track, channel, or guide rails.
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the surface, track, channel, or guide rails on which the part moves.
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any of various chutes used in logging, mining, or materials handling.
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a flat or very low-heeled, backless shoe or slipper that can be slipped on and off the foot easily.
idioms
verb
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to move or cause to move smoothly along a surface in continual contact with it
doors that slide open
children sliding on the ice
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(intr) to lose grip or balance
he slid on his back
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(intr; usually foll by into, out of, away from, etc) to pass or move gradually and unobtrusively
she slid into the room
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to go (into a specified condition) by degrees, unnoticeably, etc
he slid into loose living
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to move (an object) unobtrusively or (of an object) to move in this way
he slid the gun into his pocket
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(intr) music to execute a portamento
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to allow to follow a natural course, esp one leading to deterioration
to let things slide
noun
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the act or an instance of sliding
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a smooth surface, as of ice or mud, for sliding on
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a construction incorporating an inclined smooth slope for sliding down in playgrounds, etc
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rowing a sliding seat in a boat or its runners
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a thin glass plate on which specimens are mounted for microscopic study
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Also called: transparency. a positive photograph on a transparent base, mounted in a cardboard or plastic frame or between glass plates, that can be viewed by means of a slide projector
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Also called: hair slide. US and Canadian name: barrette. an ornamental clip to hold hair in place
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machinery
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a sliding part or member
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the track, guide, or channel on or in which such a part slides
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music
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the sliding curved tube of a trombone that is moved in or out to allow the production of different harmonic series and a wider range of notes
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a portamento
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music
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a metal or glass tube placed over a finger held against the frets of a guitar to produce a portamento
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the style of guitar playing using a slide See also bottleneck
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geology
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the rapid downward movement of a large mass of earth, rocks, etc, caused by erosion, faulting, etc
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the mass of material involved in this descent See also landslide
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A mass movement of earth, rocks, snow, or ice down a slope. Slides can be caused by an accumulation of new matter or of moisture in the overlying material, or by erosion within or below the material. They are often triggered by an earthquake or other disturbance such as an explosion.
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The mass of material resulting from such a process.
Synonym Usage
Slide, glide, slip suggest movement over a smooth surface. Slide suggests a movement of one surface over another in contact with it: to slide downhill. Glide suggests a continuous, smooth, easy, and (usually) noiseless motion: a skater gliding over the ice. To slip is to slide in a sudden or accidental way: to slip on the ice and fall.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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slidesimple
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slidessimple
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have slidperfect
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have sliddenperfect
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has slidperfect
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has sliddenperfect
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am slidingprogressive
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are slidingprogressive
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is slidingprogressive
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have been slidingperfect progressive
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has been slidingperfect progressive
Past
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slidsimple
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had slidperfect
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had sliddenperfect
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was slidingprogressive
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were slidingprogressive
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had been slidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of slide
First recorded before 950; Middle English sliden (verb), Old English slīdan; cognate with Middle Low German slīden, Middle High German slīten; akin to sled
Explanation
To slide is to move down or across something in a smooth way. If you’re into that kind of thing, head to a playground and go down a slide. Just don’t push any toddlers out of the way. You can slide your bed across your room so it's near the window, or slide on the kitchen floor in your socks. You can also slide down a slide, a play structure that's designed for climbing up and sliding down. Another kind of slide is the small rectangular piece of glass that scientists slide under a microscope to examine specimens, or the photography slide you slide into a projector for viewing.
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.
See Examples For:
In the process, Gemma may also discover what caused her mother’s slide into insanity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
A slide into poverty, pre-dating Tinubu, has continued for millions, with more than 60 percent of Nigerians now living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank, up from 40 percent in 2019.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
"The persistent slide in vacancies is a red flag for the jobs market, suggesting labour demand is shrinking amid soaring employment and energy costs, while greater automation is also squeezing some entry-level roles."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The yearly rate of core inflation, meanwhile, would slide to 2.5% from 2.6%.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Just as I started to slide into the bag one of the dogs started to sing.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Confirming these ideas is difficult because sperm observed on glass slides often behave differently from sperm moving inside the much more complicated environment of the female body.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
After the judge forbade them from using certain PowerPoint slides, Halem’s former attorneys decided against presenting an opening statement to jurors, scuttling any possibility of a favorable outcome, Weimortz said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Those slides have raised concerns over people who have borrowed money to invest in stocks, leading to South Korean authorities taking action to curb the practice.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
During a recent Sunday sermon, Stetler was working through his AI-generated “Seven Domains” handout, when it fell out of sync with his slides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
I’ve barely tied my work boots when the door slides open.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Walmart’s shares slid 9.2%, helping drag down the Dow Jones Industrial Average 1.3%, or 704 points.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
He slid into his most recent slump during the Dodgers’ last homestand, but the Colorado altitude didn’t immediately work its magic when the team went back on the road.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Sales slid 3% to $475.7 million, missing analyst forecasts for a gain to $501 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Gas-station receipts slid almost 1% last month, but renewed hostilities with Iran has pushed fuel costs back up.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Unlike the room I’d just left, this one was warm, and I felt the goose bumps on my arms melt back into my skin as I slid into a seat at the back.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Lovely, slidden pass by Tielemans, and a lovely, calm, delayed finish by Iheancho.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 6, 2021
The slidden boat gave way And the black foamy water split—and met.
From Men, Women and Ghosts by Amy Lowell
Thou didst promise; but verily the substance hath slidden from my grasp: whilst I, fond fool, embraced a shadow.
From Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 1 by John Roby
Here are pieces of rails along which the wheels of locomotives have slidden; the granules have yielded and become plates; they exfoliate or come off in leaves.
From The Glaciers of the Alps Being a narrative of excursions and ascents, etc. by John Tyndall
Up-stairs, all was still; the children were in crib and cradle, and Asenath was shaking and folding little garments,—shapes out of which the busy spirits had slidden.
From The Other Girls by A. D. T. (Adeline Dutton Train) Whitney
Sales are likely to be flat on year, with North America sales continuing to fall after sliding more than 8% in fiscal 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Then, after another sliding catch by Pages and a strikeout, he gave up a single to Crow-Armstrong and walked Seiya Suzuki.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
The yen has been sliding despite previous interventions and comments by Katayama that Japan was ready to act, remarks aimed at deterring investors from betting on the currency sliding further.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
She enters a spotless kitchen, unloads a bag of groceries, and unwraps a frozen pizza before sliding it in the oven.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
I was sliding under a leaning cedar when suddenly there was a tremendous crashing sound to my right.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
