adjective
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characterized by, covered with, containing, secreting, or resembling slime
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offensive or repulsive
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characterized by servility
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of slimy
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at slime, -y 1
Explanation
A slimy slug is fun, but a slimy person is tricky. Slimy means either sticky and wet, or dishonest and rude. A creep who sells broken wheelchairs while smiling is slimy. Slime is a moist and clammy substance, like the stuff a snail leaves behind or the mucus that comes out of your nose. Anything that's slimy is like slime, so it's a good word for describing gross substances. If your oatmeal is slimy, it's less than appetizing, and if a pond is slimy, you probably won't want to swim in it. Figuratively, slimy also means "evil" or "despicable."
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.
"Rocket Man"? "Covfefee"? All the other insults, "Slimy Comey" etcetera?
From New York Times • Apr. 16, 2018
Slimy as they might come off at times, these guys know what they’re doing.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 11, 2018
Head to the Unicorn for A Thousand Slimy Things, Tangere's terrific take on The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and also for 1,001 Nights, a modern reimagining of the ancient stories.
From The Guardian • Feb. 1, 2013
Not far from milepost 200 on a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway near the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is a humble hole known in some biology circles as Slimy Log Pond.
From Scientific American • Feb. 4, 2011
Slimy half-eaten Chinese noodles in an old Styrofoam take-out container.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
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.
