sticky

[ stik-ee ]

/ ˈstɪk i /

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See synonyms for: sticky / stickiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, stick·i·er, stick·i·est.

having the property of adhering, as glue; adhesive.

covered with adhesive or viscid matter: sticky hands.

(of the weather or climate) hot and humid: It was an unbearably sticky day.

requiring careful treatment; awkwardly difficult: a rather sticky diplomatic problem; Breaking the news is going to be sticky.

Informal. unpleasant; unfortunate; nasty: The villain of the story meets a sticky end.

noun, plural stick·ies.

one of a number of small sheets of paper on a pad, each having an adhesive backing that allows it to be positioned and repositioned on smooth surfaces.

OTHER WORDS FOR sticky

3 muggy, sultry, damp, steamy.

See synonyms for sticky on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of sticky

1720–30; 1910–15 for def. 4; stick² + -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM sticky

stick·i·ly, adverbstick·i·ness, nounnon·stick·y, adjectiveun·stick·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use sticky in a sentence

This is not typical bread dough—it will be a bit sticky, and the recipe does not require any kneading—so don’t be too concerned about the appearance.
Ease into Winter with Backcountry-Approved Comfort Food|Christina Bernstein|November 12, 2020|Outside Online
Sure, instant coffee has gotten better, but it’s still got that sticky-stale taste.
Now You Can Steep Your Coffee Like Tea—and It's Awesome|AC Shilton|November 11, 2020|Outside Online
We’ll see if dew points try to poke above the slightly sticky 60-degree mark.
D.C.-area forecast: Comfortable warmth continues for days under generally sunny skies|A. Camden Walker|November 6, 2020|Washington Post
His just-acquired passenger goes into the petrol station’s shop and comes out carrying a sticky sweet orange soda.
Crime, Corona, Copper and Trouble in Zambia|Eugene Robinson|October 30, 2020|Ozy

Consultants are widely known for their love of whiteboards—or iterations thereof, including large paper pads, sticky notes, and so forth—to record ideas from client brainstorms.
Can consultants consult without whiteboards?|Jackie Bischof|October 11, 2020|Quartz
Before either of these performances remove any stickiness or greasiness with a damp cloth.
The Library of Work and Play: Housekeeping|Elizabeth Hale Gilman
In the morning the jar was carefully inspected for any possible leaks, and Adelaide wiped off all stickiness with a damp cloth.
A Little Preserving Book for a Little Girl|Amy Waterman
In the morning the jar was carefully wiped with a damp cloth to remove all stickiness and examined for any possible leaks.
A Little Preserving Book for a Little Girl|Amy Waterman
Port wine is a brackish medicine, I hate the stickiness of cordials, and a cocktail I like chiefly to contemplate.
I, Mary MacLane|Mary MacLane
Goodyear at once made up his mind to experiment on this gum and see if he could not overcome its stickiness.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 787, January 31, 1891|Various

British Dictionary definitions for sticky

sticky

/ (ˈstɪkɪ) /

adjective stickier or stickiest

covered or daubed with an adhesive or viscous substancesticky fingers

having the property of sticking to a surface

(of weather or atmosphere) warm and humid; muggy

(of prices) tending not to fall in deflationary conditions

informal difficult, awkward, or painfula sticky business

US informal sentimental

(of a website) encouraging users to visit repeatedly

verb stickies, stickying or stickied

(tr) informal to make sticky

noun plural stickies Australian informal

short for stickybeak

an inquisitive look or stare (esp in the phrase have a sticky at)

Derived forms of sticky

stickily, adverbstickiness, noun

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

sticky

OTHER WORDS FOR sticky

Origin of sticky

OTHER WORDS FROM sticky

Words related to sticky

How to use sticky in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sticky

Derived forms of sticky