slither

verb

slith·​er ˈsli-t͟hər 

slithered; slithering; slithers

intransitive verb

1

: to slide on or as if on a loose gravelly surface

2

: to slip or slide like a snake

transitive verb

: to cause to slide

Synonyms

• belly
• crawl
• creep
• grovel
• slide
• snake
• worm
• wriggle

Examples of slither in a Sentence

The snake slithered through the garden.

To get under the porch, I lay on my stomach and slithered like a snake.

She slithered quietly into the room.

He slithered his hand around her waist.

Recent Examples on the Web

But a python is slithering around Peninsula, south of Cleveland. —Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2024

By the thousands, the creatures converge, slithering through the waterlogged soil, propelled by their flagella. —IEEE Spectrum, 17 Oct. 2024

When Quammen lets Boots crawl around the office, the snake will sometimes slither up and into hidden spaces in the shelves. —Lisa Chase, Outside Online, 29 Nov. 2024

Gaetz would be the most noxious pick to slither through that loophole, but there are others. —Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English slideren, from Old English slidrian, frequentative of slīdan to slide

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

slither

verb

slith·​er ˈslit͟h-ər 

1

: to slide or cause to slide on or as if on a loose gravelly surface

2

: to slip or slide like a snake