slide
Americanverb (used without object)
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slides,
present (3rd person singular)
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slid,
past participle, past
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slidden,
past participle
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sliding
present participle
-
to move along in continuous contact with a smooth or slippery surface.
to slide down a snow-covered hill.
- Synonyms:
- slither
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to slip or skid.
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to glide or pass smoothly.
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to slip easily, quietly, or unobtrusively on or as if on a track, channel, or guide rail (usually followed by in, out, away, etc.).
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to pass or fall gradually into a specified state, character, practice, etc.
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to decline or decrease.
Interest rates are beginning to slide.
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Baseball. (of a base runner) to cast oneself, usually feet first, forward along the ground in the direction of the base being approached, to present less of a target for a baseman attempting to make a tag.
verb (used with object)
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slides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
slid,
past participle, past
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slidden,
past participle
-
sliding
present participle
-
to cause to slide, slip, or coast, as over a surface or with a smooth, gliding motion.
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to hand, pass along, or slip (something) easily or quietly (usually followed by in, into, etc.).
to slide a note into someone's hand.
noun
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slides
plural
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an act or instance of sliding.
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a smooth surface for sliding on, especially a type of chute in a playground.
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an object intended to slide.
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Geology.
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a landslide or the like.
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the mass of matter sliding down.
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a single transparency, object, or image for projection in a projector, as a lantern slide.
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Photography. a small positive color transparency mounted for projection on a screen or magnification through a viewer.
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a usually rectangular plate of glass on which objects are placed for microscopic examination.
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Furniture. a shelf sliding into the body of a piece when not in use.
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Music.
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an embellishment consisting of an upward or downward series of three or more tones, the last of which is the principal tone.
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a portamento.
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a U -shaped section of the tube of an instrument of the trumpet class, as the trombone, that can be pushed in or out to alter the length of the air column and change the pitch.
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a vehicle mounted on runners, for conveying loads, as of grain or wood, especially over a level surface.
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(of a machine or mechanism)
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a moving part working on a track, channel, or guide rails.
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the surface, track, channel, or guide rails on which the part moves.
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any of various chutes used in logging, mining, or materials handling.
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a flat or very low-heeled, backless shoe or slipper that can be slipped on and off the foot easily.
idioms
verb
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to move or cause to move smoothly along a surface in continual contact with it
doors that slide open
children sliding on the ice
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(intr) to lose grip or balance
he slid on his back
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(intr; usually foll by into, out of, away from, etc) to pass or move gradually and unobtrusively
she slid into the room
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to go (into a specified condition) by degrees, unnoticeably, etc
he slid into loose living
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to move (an object) unobtrusively or (of an object) to move in this way
he slid the gun into his pocket
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(intr) music to execute a portamento
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to allow to follow a natural course, esp one leading to deterioration
to let things slide
noun
-
the act or an instance of sliding
-
a smooth surface, as of ice or mud, for sliding on
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a construction incorporating an inclined smooth slope for sliding down in playgrounds, etc
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rowing a sliding seat in a boat or its runners
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a thin glass plate on which specimens are mounted for microscopic study
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Also called: transparency. a positive photograph on a transparent base, mounted in a cardboard or plastic frame or between glass plates, that can be viewed by means of a slide projector
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Also called: hair slide. US and Canadian name: barrette. an ornamental clip to hold hair in place
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machinery
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a sliding part or member
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the track, guide, or channel on or in which such a part slides
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music
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the sliding curved tube of a trombone that is moved in or out to allow the production of different harmonic series and a wider range of notes
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a portamento
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music
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a metal or glass tube placed over a finger held against the frets of a guitar to produce a portamento
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the style of guitar playing using a slide See also bottleneck
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geology
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the rapid downward movement of a large mass of earth, rocks, etc, caused by erosion, faulting, etc
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the mass of material involved in this descent See also landslide
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A mass movement of earth, rocks, snow, or ice down a slope. Slides can be caused by an accumulation of new matter or of moisture in the overlying material, or by erosion within or below the material. They are often triggered by an earthquake or other disturbance such as an explosion.
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The mass of material resulting from such a process.
Synonym Usage
Slide, glide, slip suggest movement over a smooth surface. Slide suggests a movement of one surface over another in contact with it: to slide downhill. Glide suggests a continuous, smooth, easy, and (usually) noiseless motion: a skater gliding over the ice. To slip is to slide in a sudden or accidental way: to slip on the ice and fall.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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slidesimple
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slidessimple
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have slidperfect
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have sliddenperfect
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has slidperfect
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has sliddenperfect
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am slidingprogressive
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are slidingprogressive
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is slidingprogressive
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have been slidingperfect progressive
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has been slidingperfect progressive
Past
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slidsimple
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had slidperfect
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had sliddenperfect
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was slidingprogressive
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were slidingprogressive
-
had been slidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of slide
First recorded before 950; Middle English sliden (verb), Old English slīdan; cognate with Middle Low German slīden, Middle High German slīten; akin to sled
Explanation
To slide is to move down or across something in a smooth way. If you’re into that kind of thing, head to a playground and go down a slide. Just don’t push any toddlers out of the way. You can slide your bed across your room so it's near the window, or slide on the kitchen floor in your socks. You can also slide down a slide, a play structure that's designed for climbing up and sliding down. Another kind of slide is the small rectangular piece of glass that scientists slide under a microscope to examine specimens, or the photography slide you slide into a projector for viewing.
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.
See Examples For:
The slide erased roughly $500 billion from Alphabet’s market value.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Weight also plays a role, so be careful if you send your 6-year-old down the slide in stretch pants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
SpaceX rises but neocloud stocks slide after Elon Musk says they face “guppy-level death and consolidation.”
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
A volunteer guard stood watch from within, peering out into the parking lot, scanning for activity, opening the door just one body’s width to let people slide in, or out, as needed.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
"Well," said Sam, looking back at the playground as they went through the door, "I might go down the giraffe slide just one time to be polite."
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
Two 115-foot-long tubular metal shuttle descent slides whisk visitors from the upper floor of the Endeavour shuttle gallery to the base of the shuttle — a drop of 45 feet in elevation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
The AEX slips 0.3% in Amsterdam, where Adyen slides 12% after dropping its midterm target.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Presentation slides from the company emphasized its gradual reduction of outstanding shares over more than a decade as increasing "the potential for operating performance to translate into stronger per-share results."
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
Among worst performers on Japan’s benchmark index, Kioxia Holdings slides 8.8%, Advantest drops 7.0%, and SoftBank Group loses 6.1%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
She pulls a file from her case and slides it across the table toward me.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Technology stocks slid across the globe after earnings from major tech names in the U.S. and Asia reignited worries about how companies can make money from artificial intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Net profit slid 25 percent from a year earlier to $26.2 billion in the July to September period, or $2.12 per share, well short of expectations by analysts surveyed by FactSet.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Boeing shares slid about 11% after the jet maker reported a wider-than-expected quarterly net loss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
The Brazilian real slid more than 10% against the U.S. dollar while the country’s benchmark stock index fell nearly 17%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Alex slid across from Selkie and climbed onto the coconut raft.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
Lovely, slidden pass by Tielemans, and a lovely, calm, delayed finish by Iheancho.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 6, 2021
Thou didst promise; but verily the substance hath slidden from my grasp: whilst I, fond fool, embraced a shadow.
From Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 1 by John Roby
Whilst the unhappy mother was thus pouring out her heart sorrow, Pollie had crept up, and in loving pity had slidden her small hand into her aged friend's in token of sympathy with her grief.
From Little Pollie Or a Bunch of Violets by Gertrude P. Dyer
Some of them have yielded along planes passing through them, as if one half had slidden over the other; but the reattachment is very strong.
From The Glaciers of the Alps Being a narrative of excursions and ascents, etc. by John Tyndall
But he had quickly slidden from that position and was now lying flat along, in a sound sleep, and breathing heavily.
From The Last of the Vikings by John Bowling
Shares of Marvell Technology are sliding on Thursday as investors assess the financial implications of a possible deal to purchase optical-networking company Lumentum.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
With sales and the share price sliding, long-serving executive Dolf van den Brink quit as chief executive this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Luxury names have been navigating a tough market in recent years, mainly due to sliding demand for high-end goods, especially in China, where European brands also face rising competition from local labels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
The front end of the van could be seen sliding into the sinkhole, as water continued to gush out from the ground.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
I hear a door sliding open as I lock our motel room.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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