sticky

[stik-ee]

adjective

stickier, stickiest 

1. having the property of adhering, as glue; adhesive.

2. covered with adhesive or viscid matter.

   sticky hands.

3. (of the weather or climate) hot and humid.

   It was an unbearably sticky day.

   Synonyms: steamy, damp, sultry, muggy

4. requiring careful treatment; awkwardly difficult.

   a rather sticky diplomatic problem; Breaking the news is going to be sticky.

5. Informal.,  unpleasant; unfortunate; nasty.

   The villain of the story meets a sticky end.

noun

plural

stickies 

1. 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.

sticky

/ ˈstɪkɪ /

adjective

1. covered or daubed with an adhesive or viscous substance

   sticky fingers

2. having the property of sticking to a surface

3. (of weather or atmosphere) warm and humid; muggy

4. (of prices) tending not to fall in deflationary conditions

5. informal,  difficult, awkward, or painful

   a sticky business

6. informal,  sentimental

7. (of a website) encouraging users to visit repeatedly

verb

1. informal,  (tr) to make sticky

noun

1. short for stickybeak

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

Other Word Forms

• stickiness noun
• stickily adverb
• nonsticky adjective
• unsticky adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sticky¹

1720–30; 1910–15 sticky for def. 4; stick ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

I soon follow suit and, with sticky fingers, reach for all the candies that have caught my eye: super lemon sour suckers, pink lemonade gushers, muscat gummies and soda-flavored hard candies.

From Salon

That's according to the Utility Regulator, which has published data on so-called "sticky customers" for the first time.

From BBC

The full-back had to go off early in the second half, but the Red Roses coped without their star player, winning 47-7 after overcoming a sticky opening period.

From BBC

Troops "keep putting it back together with some sticky tape and screws, and back off to the frontline it goes", Mr Narozhny says.

From BBC

Designing the wheels is another challenge, as the Moon's surface is covered with a sticky layer of fragmented rock and dust called regolith.

From BBC

Related Words

• awkward 
• delicate 
• heavy 
• knotty 
• rough 
• thorny 
• tricky