Synonyms of slick

slick 1 of 3

verb

as in to grease

to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction

slicking the bottom of their skis with wax

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grease
• oil
• wet
• lubricate
• wax
• wash
• soak
• water
• bathe
• drench
• douse
• souse
• dowse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rough
• roughen
• dry
• coarsen
• sear
• dehydrate
• parch

slick

2 of 3

adjective

ˈslik 

1

as in slicked

having or being a surface so smooth as to greatly reduce traction

roads are often slick during the first hour of a rainstorm

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slicked
• slippery
• greasy
• slithery
• greased
• ground
• lubricated
• slippy
• polished
• oiled
• coated
• rubbed
• sanded
• burnished
• glazed
• brushed
• waxed
• soapy
• buffed
• scraped
• shined
• waxy
• glossed
• scrubbed
• scoured
• sandblasted
• sandpapered
• rasped

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rough
• uneven
• roughened
• scuffed
• coarsened

2

as in cunning

clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means

a slick ad campaign that made smoking look cool and sexy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cunning
• cute
• subtle
• deceptive
• treacherous
• fraudulent
• designing
• dishonest
• crooked
• slippery
• artful
• sly
• beguiling
• wily
• shrewd
• cagey
• tricky
• crafty
• foxy
• scheming
• devious
• dodgy
• guileful
• sharp
• shady
• deceitful
• cagy
• calculating
• covert
• glib
• clandestine
• astute
• circular
• facile
• shifty
• plotting
• serpentine
• undercover
• sneaky
• oblique
• unscrupulous
• underhanded
• roundabout
• Machiavellian
• concealed
• underhand
• hypocritical
• backhanded
• secret
• surreptitious
• insincere
• circuitous
• knavish
• mealy
• stealthy
• insinuating
• furtive
• two-faced
• mealymouthed
• double-dealing
• smooth-tongued
• left-handed
• hugger-mugger

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• plain
• guileless
• ingenuous
• artless
• innocent
• obvious
• public
• simple
• real
• open
• direct
• straightforward
• natural
• frank
• unaffected
• sincere
• honest
• forthright
• candid
• outspoken
• patent
• unpretentious
• unconcealed
• unvarnished
• unsophisticated
• childlike
• unpretending
• impressionable
• undesigning
• simpleminded
• unworldly
• aboveboard
• plainspoken
• unstudied
• unforced
• trusting
• trustful

3

as in excellent

of the very best kind

that's a slick new suit you have on

Synonyms & Similar Words

• excellent
• terrific
• beautiful
• lovely
• great
• superb
• wonderful
• awesome
• stellar
• fantastic
• fabulous
• hot
• fine
• marvelous
• prime
• neat
• marvellous
• classic
• cool
• quality
• sensational
• nifty
• famous
• groovy
• heavenly
• cracking
• brave
• top
• superior
• sterling
• high-class
• dandy
• splendid
• top-notch
• first-class
• first-rate
• swell
• crackerjack
• divine
• top-shelf
• dope
• good
• peachy
• grand
• superlative
• banner
• topping
• dynamite
• bumper
• too much
• choice
• exceptional
• keen
• immense
• topflight
• par excellence
• decent
• unsurpassed
• blue-chip
• number one
• noble
• frontline
• blue-ribbon
• radical
• prize
• fab
• wizard
• boss
• phat
• gone
• out of this world
• bang-up
• primo
• mean
• tip-top
• gilt-edge
• out-of-sight
• top-of-the-line
• gangbuster
• bully
• righteous
• hype
• corking
• first-string
• down
• better
• capital
• A1
• supernal
• boffo
• gangbusters
• fantabulous
• adequate
• gilt-edged
• satisfactory
• bonny
• special
• brag
• jim-dandy
• passable
• five-star
• traditional
• prizewinning
• No. 1
• fancy
• acceptable
• peachy keen
• A-OK
• numero uno
• four-star
• bonnie
• okay
• classical
• premium
• tolerable
• high-grade
• all right
• OK
• standard
• high-test
• select
• superfine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• poor
• awful
• terrible
• pathetic
• vile
• rotten
• lousy
• wretched
• atrocious
• bad
• inferior
• unsatisfactory
• substandard
• low-grade
• execrable
• mediocre
• middling
• second-class
• second-rate

slick

3 of 3

noun

1

as in pictorial

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pictorial
• sheet
• edition
• extra
• tabloid
• tab
• fanzine
• little magazine
• broadside
• supplement
• digest
• newsletter
• rag
• serial
• quarterly
• daily
• monthly
• weekly
• newsmagazine
• newspaper
• bimonthly
• bulletin
• yearbook
• annual
• mag
• paper
• periodical
• zine
• organ
• magazine
• book
• biweekly
• newsweekly
• journal
• gazette
• semimonthly
• review
• semiweekly
• triweekly
• diurnal

2

as in slicker

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slicker
• smoothie
• slickster
• phoney
• fox
• knave
• fast-talker
• sneaker
• sneak
• imposter
• rogue
• plotter
• wheeler-dealer
• schemer
• rascal
• gamesman
• charlatan
• prankster
• slyboots
• quack
• pretender
• smoothy
• fake
• impostor
• faker
• mountebank
• phony
• adventurer
• ringer
• cardsharp
• bluffer
• sharper
• sham
• cardsharper
• blackleg
• quacksalver
• swindler
• confidence man
• dodger
• cheat
• humbug
• skinner
• chiseler
• sharpy
• cheater
• sharpie
• bilk
• scammer
• double-crosser
• trickster
• defrauder
• fraudster
• double-dealer
• chiseller
• shark
• finagler
• scamster
• tricker
• cozener
• fakir
• bilker
• hoaxer

3

as in chopper

Synonyms & Similar Words

• chopper
• helicopter
• whirlybird
• copter
• eggbeater
• helo
• autogyro
• convertaplane
• convertiplane
• autogiro
• gyroplane
• tilt-rotor
• rotorcraft
• rotary-wing aircraft

Synonym Chooser

How is the word slick distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of slick are artful, crafty, cunning, foxy, sly, tricky, and wily. While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

When is artful a more appropriate choice than slick?

Although the words artful and slick have much in common, artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

When can crafty be used instead of slick?

The synonyms crafty and slick are sometimes interchangeable, but crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

When could cunning be used to replace slick?

The meanings of cunning and slick largely overlap; however, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

When would foxy be a good substitute for slick?

While the synonyms foxy and slick are close in meaning, foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

When is it sensible to use sly instead of slick?

While in some cases nearly identical to slick, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

Where would tricky be a reasonable alternative to slick?

In some situations, the words tricky and slick are roughly equivalent. However, tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

When might wily be a better fit than slick?

The words wily and slick can be used in similar contexts, but wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of slick

Verb

The daring look was paired with blank pumps and was worn with her hair tightly slicked back. —Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025

Andreeva’s curly blond hair was slicked back into a braid, and sweat dotted her teal outfit. —Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025

Adjective

Enter the Silver Surfer — the slick and menacing (and female) villain received with screams and cheers in the CinemaCon theater. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025

Bonus points for a slick bun and oversized sunnies. —Christina Holevas, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025

Noun

Compared to our Chicken And Rolled Dumplings recipe, slicks have less leavening, creating a skinner dumpling. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2025

Instead of sitting front row, Tracee Ellis Ross walked the Marni show in a deep red lip (which matched her nails), glass lids and a wet slick back. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025