stick

¹ American  

[stik] / stɪk /

noun

1. a branch or shoot of a tree or shrub that has been cut or broken off.

2. a relatively long and slender piece of wood.

3. a long piece of wood for use as fuel, in carpentry, etc.

4. a rod or wand.

5. a baton.

6. Chiefly British. a walking stick or cane.

7. a club or cudgel.

8. something that serves to goad or coerce.

   The threat of unemployment was the stick that kept the workers toiling overtime.

9. a long, slender piece or part of anything.

   a stick of candy; sticks of celery.

10. any of four equal parts in a pound of butter or margarine.

11. Sports. an implement used to drive or propel a ball or puck, as a crosse or a hockey stick.

12. Aeronautics. a lever, usually with a handle, by which the longitudinal and lateral motions of an airplane are controlled.

13. Nautical. a mast or spar.

14. Printing. composing stick.

15. Informal. the sticks, any region distant from cities or towns, as rural districts; the country.

    Having lived in a large city all his life, he found it hard to adjust to the sticks.

16. Military.

    1. a group of bombs so arranged as to be released in a row across a target.

    2. the bomb load.

17. Informal. stick shift.

18. Slang. a marijuana cigarette.

19. Informal. an unenthusiastic or uninteresting person.

20. Informal. a portion of liquor, as brandy, added to a nonalcoholic drink.

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verb (used with object)

sticked, sticking

1. to furnish (a plant, vine, etc.) with a stick or sticks in order to prop or support.

2. Printing. to set (type) in a composing stick.

idioms

1. short / dirty end of the stick, the least desirable assignment, decision, or part of an arrangement.

stick ² American  

[stik] / stɪk /

verb (used with object)

stuck, sticking

1. to pierce or puncture with something pointed, as a pin, dagger, or spear; stab.

   to stick one's finger with a needle.

   Synonyms:

   spear, penetrate

2. to kill by this means.

   to stick a pig.

3. to thrust (something pointed) in, into, through, etc..

   to stick a needle into a pincushion.

4. to fasten in position by thrusting a point or end into something.

   to stick a peg in a pegboard.

5. to fasten in position by or as if by something thrust through.

   to stick a painting on the wall.

6. to put on or hold with something pointed; impale.

   to stick a marshmallow on a fork.

   Synonyms:

   transfix

7. to decorate or furnish with things piercing the surface.

   to stick a cushion full of pins.

8. to furnish or adorn with things attached or set here and there.

   to stick shelves full of knickknacks.

9. to place upon a stick or pin for exhibit.

   to stick butterflies.

   Synonyms:

   pin

10. to thrust or poke into a place or position indicated.

    to stick one's head out of the window.

11. to place or set in a specified position; put.

    Stick the chair in the corner.

12. to fasten or attach by causing to adhere.

    to stick a stamp on a letter.

    Synonyms:

    paste, cement, glue

13. to bring to a standstill; render unable to proceed or go back (usually used in the passive).

    The car was stuck in the mud.

14. Carpentry. to start (a nail).

15. Ceramics. to join (pieces of partially hardened clay) together, using slip as an adhesive.

16. Chiefly British Informal. to tolerate; endure.

    He couldn't stick the job more than three days.

17. to confuse or puzzle; bewilder; perplex; nonplus.

    He was stuck by the very first problem on the test.

18. Informal. to impose something disagreeable upon (a person or persons), as a large bill or a difficult task.

    The committee persistently stuck him with fund collection.

19. Informal. to cheat.

20. Slang: Often Vulgar. to go to hell with: often used imperatively.

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verb (used without object)

stuck, sticking

1. to have the point piercing or embedded in something.

   The arrow stuck in the tree.

2. to remain attached by adhesion.

3. to hold, cleave, or cling.

   The young rider stuck to the back of his terrified horse.

4. to remain persistently or permanently.

   a fact that sticks in the mind.

5. to remain firm, as in resolution, opinion, statement, or attachment; hold faithfully, as to a promise or bargain.

6. to keep or remain steadily or unremittingly, as to a task, undertaking, or the like.

   to stick to a job until it is finished.

7. to become fastened, hindered, checked, or stationary by some obstruction.

   Her zipper stuck halfway up.

8. to be at a standstill, as from difficulties.

   I'm stuck on this problem.

9. to be embarrassed or puzzled; hesitate or scruple (usually followed byat ).

   Synonyms:

   doubt, waver, stickle

10. to be thrust or placed so as to extend, project, or protrude (usually followed by through, from, out, up, etc.).

noun

1. a thrust with a pointed instrument; stab.

2. a stoppage or standstill.

3. something causing delay or difficulty.

4. the quality of adhering or of causing things to adhere.

5. something causing adhesion.

verb phrase

1. stick by / to to maintain one's attachment or loyalty to; remain faithful to.

   They vowed to stick by one another no matter what happened.

2. stick around to wait in the vicinity; linger.

   If you had stuck around, you'd have seen the fireworks.

3. stick up for to speak in favor of; come to the defense of; support.

   She always sticks up for him, even though he doesn't deserve it.

4. stick out to extend; protrude.

   Stick out your tongue. Your shirttail is sticking out.

5. stick up to rob, especially at gunpoint.

   A lone gunman stuck up the gas station.

idioms

1. stick it, shove.

2. stick it up your / one's ass, shove.

3. stick it to (someone), to take advantage of; treat unfairly.

4. stick it out, to endure something patiently to the end or its completion.

   It was a long, dusty trip but we stuck it out.

5. stick one's neck out. neck.

6. stick to one's guns. gun.

7. stick to the / one's ribs, to be substantial and nourishing, as a hearty meal.

   Hot cereal sticks to your ribs on those cold winter mornings.

stick ¹ British  

/ stɪk /

noun

1. a small thin branch of a tree

2. 1. any long thin piece of wood

   2. such a piece of wood having a characteristic shape for a special purpose

      a walking stick

      a hockey stick

   3. a baton, wand, staff, or rod

3. an object or piece shaped like a stick

   a stick of celery

   a stick of dynamite

4. See control stick

5. informal the lever used to change gear in a motor vehicle

6. nautical a mast or yard

7. printing See composing stick

8. 1. a group of bombs arranged to fall at intervals across a target

   2. a number of paratroops jumping in sequence

9. slang

   1. verbal abuse, criticism

      I got some stick for that blunder

   2. physical power, force (esp in the phrase give it some stick )

10. (usually plural) a piece of furniture

    these few sticks are all I have

11. informal (plural) a rural area considered remote or backward (esp in the phrase in the sticks )

12. informal (plural) the wooded interior part of the country

13. (plural) hockey a declaration made by the umpire if a player's stick is above the shoulders

14. (plural) goalposts

15. obsolete a cannabis cigarette

16. a means of coercion

17. informal a dull boring person

18. informal (usually preceded by old) a familiar name for a person

    not a bad old stick

19. in a difficult position

20. a complete misunderstanding of a situation, explanation, etc

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verb

1. to support (a plant) with sticks; stake

stick ² British  

/ stɪk /

verb

1. (tr) to pierce or stab with or as if with something pointed

2. to thrust or push (a sharp or pointed object) or (of a sharp or pointed object) to be pushed into or through another object

3. (tr) to fasten in position by pushing or forcing a point into something

   to stick a peg in a hole

4. (tr) to fasten in position by or as if by pins, nails, etc

   to stick a picture on the wall

5. (tr) to transfix or impale on a pointed object

6. (tr) to cover with objects piercing or set in the surface

7. to put forward or be put forward; protrude or cause to protrude

   to stick one's head out of the window

8. informal (tr) to place or put in a specified position

   stick your coat on this chair

9. to fasten or be fastened by or as if by an adhesive substance

   stick the pages together

   they won't stick

10. informal (tr) to cause to become sticky

11. (when tr, usually passive) to come or cause to come to a standstill

    we were stuck for hours in a traffic jam

    the wheels stuck

12. (intr) to remain for a long time

    the memory sticks in my mind

13. slang (tr) to tolerate; abide

    I can't stick that man

14. (intr) to be reluctant

15. informal (tr; usually passive) to cause to be at a loss; baffle, puzzle, or confuse

    I was totally stuck for an answer

16. slang (tr) to force or impose something unpleasant on

    they stuck me with the bill for lunch

17. (tr) to kill by piercing or stabbing

18. informal to be difficult, or against one's conscience, for one to accept, utter, or believe

19. See nose

20. informal (of food) to be hearty and satisfying

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noun

1. the state or condition of adhering

2. informal a substance causing adhesion

3. obsolete something that causes delay or stoppage

stick More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing stick

• carrot and stick
• get on the stick
• make stick
• more than one can shake a stick at
• short end of the stick
• stand (stick) up for
• wrong end of the stick

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Usage

What does stick mean? Content warning: this article references guns. Stick is a slang term for "gun," especially an automatic rifle in Southern hip-hop in the U. S. That means you can "stick 'em up"... with a stick.

Synonym Usage

Stick, adhere, cohere mean to cling to or be tightly attached to something. Adhere implies that one kind of material clings tenaciously to another; cohere adds the idea that a thing is attracted to and held by something like itself: Particles of sealing wax cohere and form a mass that will adhere to tin. Stick, a more colloquial and general term, is used particularly when a third kind of material is involved: A gummed label will stick to a package.

Other Word Forms

• stickability
  noun
• restickable
  adjective
• stickable
  adjective
• stickless
  adjective
• sticklike
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of stick¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English stikke, stike, Old English sticca “stick, peg, spoon”; akin to Old High German stehho, Old Norse stik “stick”; akin to stick ²

Origin of stick²

First recorded before 900; Middle English stiken, stikken, Old English stician “to pierce, thrust”; akin to German stechen “to sting,” Latin -stīg- in instīgāre “to urge, incite,” Greek stízein “to stitch, tattoo, brand”; see also stigma, stitch

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Explanation

A stick is either a short length of wood—part of a tree branch—or an implement made of wood, like a hockey stick, a walking stick, or the sticks you use to play a drum. There's also the much shorter popsicle stick or lollipop stick, as well as an airplane pilot's joy stick, a stick of butter, and a long, thin piece of something, like a stick of dynamite or cinnamon. As a verb, stick means "pierce," "fix," or "stay." So you can stick a pin in a balloon, stick a sticker on a window, or stick around your classroom after math class is over.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stick sticked sticking stuck

Enjoy your retirement, by all means, but stick to a budget and don’t get carried away.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

Healey is expected to stick to the government’s self-imposed fiscal rules and avoid any significant changes to government spending plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

So, as some mourn the "end of an era", they're also nervously waiting to see if he can stick the landing second time around.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

Calf-high white socks stick out of his black loafers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

There’s a scrape on the outside of my leg where I must have slid into a stick or rock or something, but it only stings a little.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

At the other end of the ice, Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made four saves and sticked away the puck from a danger area with the Canadiens buzzing.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 7, 2021

Coyotes winger Jordan Szwarz high sticked Schmidt to give Washington its next go-round on the power play.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 10, 2013

The flower-stems to be properly sticked, so as to keep them in due bounds, and also to assist in presenting a large mass of flowers to the eye at once.

From In-Door Gardening for Every Week in the Year Showing the Most Successful Treatment for all Plants Cultivated in the Greenhouse, Conservatory, Stove, Pit, Orchid, and Forcing-house by William Keane

“Yes, ma’am; me an’ Biddy picked a bowkay outen a ashba’l oncet, an’ me mudder sticked it in a tumbler an’ loved it.

From A Bookful of Girls by Anna Fuller

‘She’s sticked fast,’ said ‘Bunny’ Lewknor, who managed the other team.

From Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling

The other big sticking point is finding new sources of cash to fund conservation efforts around the globe -- a hot-button issue with public budgets under strain.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

“I was sticking up for Winnie Harlow, a woman that I admire, and many women and young girls look up to,” McHenry said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

Another reason is that most investors can cash out monthly, making them comfortable sticking around.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

RCN England's executive director Patricia Marquis said the extra money was welcome in the short term but would ultimately provide "just another sticking plaster on a system that is at breaking point".

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

I was still sitting there like a marble statue of Distressa, Patron Saint of Dread and Dumbfoundedness: mouth and eyes wide open, arms and legs sticking out, and everything as stiff as a board.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Watch Duty exploded in popularity by providing up-to-the-minute firefighting updates, fire perimeters, and on-the-scene reports to people previously stuck navigating a fractured system of emergency alerts that gave minimal information.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

"There's an amount of judgement that goes into this. It's like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place, but then you make your call."

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

There’s not many coaches who would have stuck around when twice told “we’re going in a different direction.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

We are stuck each quarter navigating the redemption process for each fund and hoping we can get out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

“Right,” I said, and for the first time I didn’t have the desire to point out that being stuck with her as a partner felt like a terrible thing to me.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

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Related Words

• bar
• bat
• baton
• cane
• club
• rod
• slab
• stalk
• strip
• wand
• wedge

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