slippery slope

American  

noun

slippery slopes plural

1. a dangerous and irreversible course.

   the slippery slope from narcotics to prison.

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slippery slope Idioms  

1. A dangerous course, one that leads easily to catastrophe, as in He's on a slippery slope, compromising his values to please both the bosses and the union. This metaphoric expression alludes to traversing a slick hillside, in constant danger of falling. [Mid-1900s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• slippery slopes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of slippery slope

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

When children’s mental health and cognitive development are at risk, implying that screens can be good in some circumstances is a slippery slope toward a worse future.

From Salon • Jun. 21, 2026

Belgium, the Netherlands and Canada have all fallen down that slippery slope.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Admittedly, answering emails on the weekend can be a slippery slope.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

This "slippery slope" argument has been repeatedly raised during debates at Holyrood.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

As Douglas suspected, the Court in Terry had begun its slide down a very slippery slope.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander