slippery
pronunciation
How to pronounce slippery in British English:
UK [ˈslɪpəri]
How to pronounce slippery in American English:
US [ˈslɪpəri]
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- Adjective:
- being such as to cause things to slip or slide
- not to be trusted
Word Origin
- slippery (adj.)
- "having a slippery surface," c. 1500, from Middle English sliper (adj.) "readily slipping," from Old English slipor "slippery, having a smooth surface" (see slip (v.)) + -y (2). Metaphoric sense of "deceitful, untrustworthy" is first recorded 1550s. Related: Slipperiness. In a figurative sense, slippery slope is first attested 1844. Slippery elm (1748) so called for its mucilaginous inner bark.
Synonym
unsteady hazardous built critical by dangerous unstable sand unsafe tottery perilous a shaky unsound risky on thread ticklish precarious hanging
unctuous oily glossy wet glazed greasy smooth icy slimy glassy sleek satiny waxed waxy skiddy slick buttery
Example
- 1. Volvo 's engineers envision cars being able to warn each other of hazards such as slippery roads .
- 2. This can leave us with the feeling we are in a dank , dark and slippery place .
- 3. If fitted with sensors , such tyres could be more closely monitored and controlled in slippery conditions .
- 4. Part of their magic is that omega-3 fats make blood more slippery , which reduces the likelihood of artery disease .
- 5. Each day , until he grew too frail and the slippery banks too hazardous , he would walk to the river to watch it flow .