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slippery

[ slip-uh-ree, slip-ree ]
/ ˈslɪp ə ri, ˈslɪp ri /
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See synonyms for: slippery / slipperier / slipperiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, slip·per·i·er, slip·per·i·est.
tending or liable to cause slipping or sliding, as ice, oil, a wet surface, etc.: a slippery road.
tending to slip from the hold or grasp or from position: a slippery rope.
likely to slip away or escape: slippery prospects.
not to be depended on; fickle; shifty, tricky, or deceitful.
unstable or insecure, as conditions: a slippery situation.
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Origin of slippery

1525–35; alteration of slipper2; compare Low German slipperig;see -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM slippery

slip·per·i·ness, nounnon·slip·per·y, adjectiveun·slip·per·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use slippery in a sentence

  • To me the cliff looked much like the Matterhorn, only slipperier.

    Everyday Adventures|Samuel Scoville
  • But when they get to mixin' in things they're slipperier than a bunch of quicksilver.

    The Long Dim Trail|Forrestine C. Hooker
  • And Copper with her unerring female instinct knew just what to do to make the footing slipperier.

    The Lani People|J. F. Bone

British Dictionary definitions for slippery

slippery
/ (ˈslɪpərɪ, -prɪ) /

adjective
causing or tending to cause objects to slipa slippery road
liable to slip from the grasp, a position, etc
not to be relied upon; cunning and untrustworthya slippery character
(esp of a situation) liable to change; unstable
slippery slope a course of action that will lead to disaster or failure

Derived forms of slippery

slipperily, adverbslipperiness, noun

Word Origin for slippery

C16: probably coined by Coverdale to translate German schlipfferig in Luther's Bible (Psalm 35:6); related to Old English slipor slippery
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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