slick 1 of 3

as in to grease
to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction slicking the bottom of their skis with wax

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

slick

2 of 3

adjective

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slick

3 of 3

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word slick distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of slick are artful, crafty, cunning, foxy, sly, tricky, and wily. While all these words mean "attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means," slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

When is artful a more appropriate choice than slick?

Although the words artful and slick have much in common, artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

When can crafty be used instead of slick?

The synonyms crafty and slick are sometimes interchangeable, but crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

When could cunning be used to replace slick?

The meanings of cunning and slick largely overlap; however, cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

When would foxy be a good substitute for slick?

While the synonyms foxy and slick are close in meaning, foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

When is it sensible to use sly instead of slick?

While in some cases nearly identical to slick, sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

Where would tricky be a reasonable alternative to slick?

In some situations, the words tricky and slick are roughly equivalent. However, tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

When might wily be a better fit than slick?

The words wily and slick can be used in similar contexts, but wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

Examples of slick in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The model wore her hair slicked back, letting her famous cheekbones take center stage. Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2024 Foundation: Before applying the wig, make sure your natural hair is as flat as possible—either braided tightly or slicked down with gel. Kedean Smith, refinery29.com, 27 Sep. 2024
Adjective
Moreover, slick menus and streamlined interfaces make navigation a breeze. PCMAG, 23 Oct. 2024 The slick looking suits include a range of innovative features. Marianna Cerini and Leah Dolan, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
Noun
On Wednesday, bacteria levels in the Seine were deemed satisfactory, and despite rain overnight that left the streets slick, the women’s and men’s races were allowed to proceed. Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2024 Mayer is obviously a wicked guitar player, supple and slick, an ace as a mimic who also has his own panache. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for slick 

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.

Thesaurus Entries Near slick

Cite this Entry

“Slick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slick. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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