slippery
[ slip-uh-ree, slip-ree ]
/ ˈslɪp ə ri, ˈslɪp ri /
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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OTHER WORDS FROM slippery
slip·per·i·ness, nounnon·slip·per·y, adjectiveun·slip·per·y, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for slippery
To me the cliff looked much like the Matterhorn, only slipperier.
Everyday Adventures|Samuel ScovilleBut when they get to mixin' in things they're slipperier than a bunch of quicksilver.
The Long Dim Trail|Forrestine C. Hooker
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, nounWord 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
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