Teflon

American

[tef-lon] / ˈtɛf lɒn /

Trademark.

a fluorocarbon polymer with slippery, nonsticking properties; polytetrafluoroethylene.

adjective

characterized by imperviousness to blame or criticism.

a Teflon politician.

Teflon British

/ ˈtɛflɒn /

noun

polytetrafluoroethylene, when used in nonstick cooking vessels

"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

adjective

facetious denoting the ability to evade blame

the Teflon president

"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

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.

So you don’t have to worry about getting cancer from your Teflon pan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

This is a historic dressing-down of somebody who thought they were made of Teflon.

From Slate • Jan. 23, 2026

New research has identified a straightforward and environmentally friendly way to decompose Teflon, one of the most resilient plastics in use today, and convert it into valuable chemical ingredients.

From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2025

It could take several month to find a replacement for Davie, who earned the moniker of "Teflon Tim" for his ability to bounce back from scandals.

From Barron's • Nov. 10, 2025

They move fast and efficiently through dense mobs, as if they have a Teflon coat, very rarely bumping into one another.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023