slick

1 of 4

adjective

slicker; slickest
1
a
: having a smooth surface : slippery
slick wet leaves
b
: having surface plausibility or appeal : glossy
slick advertising
c
: based on stereotype : trite
slick stories soon forgotten
2
a
: characterized by subtlety or nimble wit : clever
especially : wily
a slick swindler
b
: deft, skillful
a slick ballplayer
3
: extremely good : first-rate
4
archaic : sleek sense 1
slickly adverb
slickness noun

slick

2 of 4

verb

slicked; slicking; slicks

transitive verb

: to make sleek or smooth

intransitive verb

: spruce
usually used with up

slick

3 of 4

noun

1
a
: something that is smooth or slippery
especially : a smooth patch of water covered with a film of oil
b
: a film of oil
2
: an automobile tire made without a tread for maximum traction (as in drag racing)
3
: an implement for producing a smooth or slick surface
4
: a shrewd untrustworthy person
5
: a popular magazine printed on coated stock and intended to appeal to sophisticated readers
6
slang : a military helicopter without armaments that is used to transport troops or light cargo

slick

4 of 4

adverb

dated, informal
: in a smooth or clever manner
"I must say they did it slick enough. They were old hands at the business."Jack London
Choose the Right Synonym for slick

sleek, slick, glossy mean having a smooth bright surface or appearance.

sleek suggests a smoothness or brightness resulting from attentive grooming or physical conditioning.

a sleek racehorse

slick suggests extreme smoothness that results in a slippery surface.

slipped and fell on the slick floor

glossy suggests a highly reflective surface.

photographs having a glossy finish

sly, cunning, crafty, wily, tricky, foxy, artful, slick mean attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means.

sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

Examples of slick in a Sentence

Adjective Be careful as you drive home—the roads are slick. big corporations and their slick lawyers The new kid had some slick moves on the basketball court. The students did a slick job of promoting the concert. The video game has slick graphics. Verb The rain slicked the roads. slicking the bottom of their skis with wax
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Well, Barrett-Jackson comes to Palm Beach, Fla., on April 18 through 20, with a slick 1966 Chevrolet Corvette convertible that’s just that. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 This week saw the big reveal of her new venture, American Riviera Orchard, with a slick logo unveiled in nine tiles on Instagram. Rebecca Cope, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2024 The rapper dropped the song alongside a music video directed by Patience Harding that sees Cardi performing the fast-talking track in a series of slick ensembles. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 And, as Peter Pomerantsev, a disinformation researcher who used to work in Russian television production, once told me, everything around the election-style event is choreographed to give the illusion of choice, right down to the slick political debates on television. Brian Klaas, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024 The chow fun noodles are just al dente and slick with soy sauce and oil. Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The 25-year-old credits the slick rhymes on the trunk-rattling single to the alcohol flowing through him during a November studio session in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 Sanam is a slick foil for Ariel (Kjerstine Rose Anderson), who has a more personal motivation to publish, an impetus that borders on survival for her and her small child. David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 Given the scandalous nature of the crimes, President Enrique Peña Nieto, a slick but empty politician, was forced to promise an investigation. Alma Guillermoprieto, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
Guests are scrubbed down with thermal salt from Sárvár, slicked with lavender and almond oil, packed with a mud mask from Lake Hévíz that draws out impurities, and enveloped in a shimmering wrap that conjures discos, all while the therapist performs a vigorous Hungarian face and body massage. Alia Akkam, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2024 The Dune: Part Two star wore her hair slicked back with a retro wave and rocked silver eye shadow and a glossy lip. Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 With her hair slicked back into a bun, Kravitz walked the event's black carpet in a see-through black gown with a high neckline balanced out by an open back. Glamour, 9 Mar. 2024 On March 3, Kardashian wore a lace turtleneck dress from the luxury fashion house's fall/winter 2024-2025 collection, complete with a sheer bust, dramatic sleeve flares, and an unexpected open back emphasized by her thick, slicked back ponytail. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 3 Mar. 2024 Other guests of note included Kate Moss, 50, whose trademark blonde locks were slicked back into a knot, and Eva Herzigová, also 50, who channelled the spirit of the ’80s with her disco ringlets. Hannah Coates, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024 The former Miss Universe wore her hair slicked back and accessorized for the evening with a thin black belt and gold jewelry. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 The rest of her hair was slicked down, with the front portion subtly waved near her face. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 26 Feb. 2024 On hair, Eugene Souleiman slicked and wrapped the strands into a flower at the ear. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
The slick was spotted Thursday evening about a mile and a half offshore and is approximately two and a half miles long, the Coast Guard said in a news release. Cheri Mossburg, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Senior Sofia Del Villar of Newport Harbor (16-9) tied the score 8-8 on a slick, redirect off a weak-side drive and cross pass by Verdugo with 28 seconds left. Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 28 Jan. 2024 The neat braid jam is the perfect jam to slick and blend the hair with the extensions for a flawless install. Akili King, Essence, 17 Jan. 2024 From the water, specifically the Cantabrian Sea, come meaty and sweet anchovies with a slick of olive oil to balance their salinity. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2024 Gustavo Rainer Lugo, 26, hiking up a hill slick with mud, described himself as an aspiring TikToker documenting his own trek to the United States. Julie Turkewitz, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023 Left to flow, the unearthed springs turn dirt roads into unstable slicks of mud. WIRED, 23 Dec. 2023 The model, who debuted her seasonal sparkle over the weekend, did so in a predictably stylish way, accompanying her signature smattering of faux freckles and Jelly Bean fuchsia Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment with the prettiest slick of translucent shimmer across her lids. Georgia Day, Vogue, 4 Dec. 2023 Thanks to double discounts, this slick Avec Les Filles puffer jacket is a whopping 55 percent off. Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 21 Nov. 2023
Adverb
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo Inside, the Silverado ZR2 has a slick-looking dashboard that features a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel next to a massive 13.4-inch touchscreen. Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 12 Apr. 2023 That’s right, as if the movie weren’t weird enough already, come to find that Quinto’s character has an inoperable brain tumor — which goes a long way toward lowering his inhibitions and explains all three of the borderline-inept montages in this otherwise slick-looking movie. Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2023 Infotainment and Connectivity Every M4 is outfitted with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a slick-looking infotainment system that features a large 14.9-inch touchscreen. Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 9 Mar. 2023 The slick-fielding Marsh, 24, showed promise at the plate in his final 46 games of 2021, hitting .297 with a .761 OPS, two homers and 17 RBIs. Mike Digiovannastaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2022 The Mets can’t match that kind of offense – and don’t have the same solid defense that makes the slick-fielding Atlanta infield so vital to its pitching staff. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2021 Momentum has been building for Rolen, a slick-fielding third baseman who slugged 316 home runs. Benjamin Hoffman, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2023 With colorful lingo and slick-talking raps, E-40 and Too Short have steered the sound of the Bay Area since first emerging in the 1980s. Kenan Draughornestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2022 And a slick-fielding shortstop (Brody Moore) who earned regional MVP honors after hitting .533 with six RBIs, six runs and a homer. Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 9 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English slyke; akin to Old English *slician

Verb

Middle English sliken, from Old English *slician; akin to Old High German slīhhan to glide

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slick was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near slick

Cite this Entry

“Slick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slick. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

slick

1 of 3 verb
: to make sleek or smooth

slick

2 of 3 adjective
1
a
: having a smooth surface : slippery
a slick road
b
: having or showing skill and style but no depth
slick writing
2
a
b
: quick and neat in action : skillful
slickly adverb
slickness noun

slick

3 of 3 noun
: something that is smooth or slippery
especially : a smooth patch of water covered with a film of oil

More from Merriam-Webster on slick

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