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 of slippery

• 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

Plus, their rubber outsoles provide traction on wet ground and slippery surfaces. — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026

The slippery line between fiction and non-fiction has always been Greene’s primary subject. — Marshall Shaffer, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2026

Among the 13 people on stage, not once does anyone ever enter from stage left or stage right, which would be a major distraction, given how frequently these slippery people are coming in or out. — Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

In most cases, the top sneakers for running on roads have to feature a few key components to be truly worth the buy, including responsiveness, durability, long-term comfort, energy return, and a tread pattern that won’t feel slippery underfoot. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

slipper entry 2 + -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