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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The trails were muddy and slippery. Fish are slippery to hold. The sign cautions: “Slippery when wet.”
Recent Examples on the Web Swiss rider Stefan Bissegger became the first one to crash on the slippery roads, going down twice, but was quickly back on his bike. 
Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 1 July 2022 The agency said the wet, heavy snow had brought down tree limbs across the city, adding to the danger of slippery roads. oregonlive, 11 Apr. 2022 Those areas faced the threat of 2 to 3 inches of snow and slippery roads, according to a Channel 2 weather alert. Matt Bruce, ajc, 12 Mar. 2022 The concern for slippery roads and sidewalks should only persist until mid- to late morning, when temperatures rise above freezing. Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2022 The city in May said the repairs would require crews to lower the lake’s water level, leaving the boat launch ramps inaccessible and exposing slippery, muddy banks. David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 June 2022 The sandals' rubber sole boosts their durability and water-resistance while giving them excellent flexibility and traction, even when up against slippery rocks and muddy trails. Emily Belfiore, Travel + Leisure, 17 June 2022 Instead, help your child assess their surroundings by pointing out specific dangers such as slippery rocks or broken steps. Stephanie H. Murray, The Week, 12 Apr. 2022 The tread is slippery on wet surfaces, and the style runs larger than other running shoe designs. Braelyn Wood, Health.com, 16 Feb. 2022 See More
Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 1 July 2022 The agency said the wet, heavy snow had brought down tree limbs across the city, adding to the danger of slippery roads. oregonlive, 11 Apr. 2022 Those areas faced the threat of 2 to 3 inches of snow and slippery roads, according to a Channel 2 weather alert. Matt Bruce, ajc, 12 Mar. 2022 The concern for slippery roads and sidewalks should only persist until mid- to late morning, when temperatures rise above freezing. Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2022 The city in May said the repairs would require crews to lower the lake’s water level, leaving the boat launch ramps inaccessible and exposing slippery, muddy banks. David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 June 2022 The sandals' rubber sole boosts their durability and water-resistance while giving them excellent flexibility and traction, even when up against slippery rocks and muddy trails. Emily Belfiore, Travel + Leisure, 17 June 2022 Instead, help your child assess their surroundings by pointing out specific dangers such as slippery rocks or broken steps. Stephanie H. Murray, The Week, 12 Apr. 2022 The tread is slippery on wet surfaces, and the style runs larger than other running shoe designs. Braelyn Wood, Health.com, 16 Feb. 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
slippery
adjective
slip·pery ˈsli-pə-rē
slipperier; slipperiest
1
: having a surface smooth or wet enough to make holding onto or moving or standing on difficult
a slippery fish
A man fell on the slippery walk.
2
: not to be trusted : tricky
a slippery politician
slippery
adjective
1
as in shady
given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions a bar where a lot of slippery characters were known to hang out Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- shady
- shifty
- slick
- treacherous
- sneaky
- dark
- sly
- furtive
- stealthy
- crooked
- deceptive
- sneaking
- cheating
- cunning
- clandestine
- secretive
- wily
- tricky
- lying
- close
- dishonest
- devious
- artful
- foxy
- crafty
- guileful
- deceitful
- duplicitous
- deceiving
- insidious
- untrustworthy
- mendacious
- devious
- closemouthed
- covert
- serpentine
- underhanded
- reticent
- dissembling
- perfidious
- underhand
- knavish
- trickish
- untruthful
- two-faced
- defrauding
- double-dealing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- straightforward
- forthright
- plain
- open
- direct
- frank
- candid
- trustworthy
- truthful
- plainspoken
- honest
- aboveboard
- foursquare
2
as in elusive
hard to find, capture, or isolate a slippery concept that we had trouble understanding Synonyms & Similar Words
- elusive
- evasive
- shifty
- transient
- inaccessible
- ephemeral
- temporary
- evanescent
- cagey
- passing
- fugitive
- fleeting
- cagy
- transitory
- inconvenient
- unapproachable
- unavailable
- unreachable
- momentary
- untouchable
- impermanent
- unobtainable
- unattainable
- short-lived
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- convenient
- accessible
- available
- attainable
- obtainable
- approachable
- reachable
3
as in slicked
having or being a surface so smooth as to greatly reduce traction had trouble keeping upright on the slippery ice Synonyms & Similar Words
- slicked
- slick
- greasy
- slippy
- ground
- greased
- lubricated
- slithery
- sanded
- oiled
- rubbed
- coated
- glazed
- brushed
- burnished
- polished
- glossed
- soapy
- waxed
- waxy
- shined
- buffed
- scraped
- rasped
- scoured
- scrubbed
- sandpapered
- sandblasted
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- uneven
- rough
- roughened
- scuffed
- coarsened