slippery
Americanadjective
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tending or liable to cause slipping slip or sliding, as ice, oil, a wet surface, etc..
a slippery road.
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tending to slip from the hold or grasp or from position.
a slippery rope.
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likely to slip away or escape.
slippery prospects.
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not to be depended on; fickle; shifty, tricky, or deceitful.
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unstable or insecure, as conditions.
a slippery situation.
adjective
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causing or tending to cause objects to slip
a slippery road
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liable to slip from the grasp, a position, etc
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not to be relied upon; cunning and untrustworthy
a slippery character
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(esp of a situation) liable to change; unstable
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a course of action that will lead to disaster or failure
Other Word Forms
- nonslippery adjective
- slipperily adverb
- slipperiness noun
- unslippery adjective
Etymology
Origin of slippery
1525–35; alteration of slipper 2; compare Low German slipperig; -y 1
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.
The existence of these suburban families is known, as is the slippery hope one will never cross paths with them in this ever-spinning round of American roulette.
From Los Angeles Times
The sleet and snow showers that moved southwards across the country on Thursday night created a visual treat for our BBC WeatherWatchers, but also meant slippery roads and pavements for those venturing out.
From BBC
More than five million words survive from his pen, including the “Confessions,” a slippery and carefully constructed autobiography covering his life into his mid-30s; numerous letters; and chatty, confessional sermons.
I’ve had panic attacks trying to understand how objective reality can feel so slippery and why it seems impossible to change someone’s mind.
Writing, English class, and art all seem kind of slippery.
From Literature
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.
