stickier; stickiest
Synonyms of stickynext
1
a
: adhesive
a sticky material
b(1)
: viscous, gluey
sticky syrup
(2)
: coated with a sticky substance
sticky little fingers
… it must have been just repainted, it looked so bright and stickyLewis Carroll
2
: humid, muggy
also : clammy
3
: tending to stick
4
a
: disagreeable, unpleasant
came to a sticky end
b
c
: difficult, problematic
a sticky situation
5
: excessively sentimental : cloying
stickily adverb
stickiness noun

Examples of sticky in a Sentence

The sap is very sticky. There is a sticky substance on the table. The paint was still sticky. The weather was hot and sticky.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Equal parts creature feature and Florida noir, Mermaid is sticky, sunburned, and defiantly strange. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026 Maurer imagines blending the fungi with Martian or lunar dirt; their sticky mycelia would cement it into an extraterrestrial equivalent of particle board. Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 Ackman’s bullish stance comes at a time when markets have been rattled by rising energy prices, sticky inflation concerns and shifting expectations around Federal Reserve policy. Yun Li, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026 That, in turn, has made interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve less likely, because the higher oil costs are set to contribute to already sticky inflation. Rob Wile, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sticky

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sticky was in 1688

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sticky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sticky. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

sticky

adjective
stickier; stickiest
1
a
: adhesive entry 1, gluey
sticky syrup
b
: coated with a sticky substance
the tabletop was sticky
2
: muggy, humid
a hot sticky day
3
: tending to stick
sticky windows
stickily adverb
stickiness noun

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