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

• shady

Examples of slippery in a Sentence

The trails were muddy and slippery.

Fish are slippery to hold.

The sign cautions: “Slippery when wet.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Capturing this slippery essence is at the heart of the effervescent landscapes of Nicole Wittenberg. —Grace Edquist, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2025

There were no injuries reported or summons issued and the contributing factors to the accident were found to be a reaction to an uninvolved vehicle and the slippery and wet roadway conditions. —Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025

These surfaces could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury. —Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025

These surfaces could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025

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

• slippery elm
• slippery slope

Kids Definition

slippery

adjective

slip·​pery ˈslip-(ə-)rē 

slipperier; slipperiest

1

: having a surface smooth enough to cause one to slide or lose one's hold

2

: not worthy of trust : tricky, crafty

slipperiness noun