This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
sticky wicket
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
Cricket. the area of ground around a wicket when it is tacky because of recent rain and therefore does not allow the ball to bounce well.
Chiefly British. a situation requiring delicate treatment; an awkward situation: In telling his wife that he has to be away for a month in Cannes, he'll be batting on a sticky wicket.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Origin of sticky wicket
First recorded in 1925–30
Words nearby sticky wicket
sticky end, sticky-fingered, sticky fingers, Sticky Note, sticky rice, sticky wicket, sticky willie, stiction, Stiegel, Stieglitz, stiff
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use sticky wicket in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for sticky wicket
sticky wicket
noun
a cricket pitch that is rapidly being dried by the sun after rain and is particularly conducive to spin
informal a difficult or awkward situation (esp in the phrase on a sticky wicket)
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