slippery

adjective

slip·​pery ˈsli-p(ə-)rē 

slipperier; slipperiest

1

a

: causing or tending to cause something to slide or fall

slippery roads

b

: tending to slip from the grasp

a slippery fish

2

a

: not firmly fixed : unstable

b

: not precise or fixed in meaning : ambiguous, elusive

3

: not to be trusted : tricky

slipperiness noun

Synonyms

• furtive
• shady
• shifty
• sly
• sneaking
• sneaky
• stealthy

Examples of slippery in a Sentence

The trails were muddy and slippery.

Fish are slippery to hold.

The sign cautions: “Slippery when wet.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Take the slippery, softening UV Lip Balm Broad-Spectrum SPF 36, which is powered by glycerin, vitamin E, zinc oxide, and octinoxate to create a creamy sun-safe balm that soothes and protects skin for 80 minutes of water-resistant coverage. —Sarah Madaus, Allure, 3 Apr. 2025

Watch out for slippery roads: The initial half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mixture of rain, grime, and oil. —Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025

Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman’s 2024 season ended on the highest of notes, but 2025 has already gotten off to a slippery start for the World Series MVP. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2025

Electronic sounds, sounds moving through water, sounds experienced through vibration—deaf expertise was one form among many in this slippery medium (newly manipulable with cheap digital tools). —Mara Mills, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

slipper entry 1 + -y entry 1

Note: As the earliest occurrence of slippery appears to be in the Coverdale Bible (1535, Psalm 35:6), it has been suggested that the addition of the suffix -y to the adjective slipper copies German schlipfferig in Luther's translation of the same passage (1534, present-day German schlüpfrig). The German word is ultimately from the same Germanic base as slip entry 5 (see Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology).

First Known Use

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing slippery

• slippery elm
• slippery slope

Kids Definition

slippery

adjective

slip·​pery ˈslip-(ə-)rē 

slipperier; slipperiest

1

: having a surface smooth enough to cause one to slide or lose one's hold

2

: not worthy of trust : tricky, crafty

slipperiness noun