sleek

1 of 2

adjective

1
a
: smooth and glossy as if polished
sleek dark hair
b
: having a smooth well-groomed look
sleek cattle
c
: healthy-looking
2
: smooth in speech or manner
also : unctuous
3
a
: having a prosperous air
sleek luxury condominiums
b
: having trim graceful lines
a sleek car
c
: elegant, stylish
a sleek wardrobe
sleekly adverb
sleekness noun

sleek

2 of 2

verb

sleeked; sleeking; sleeks

transitive verb

1
: slick
grooms sleeking cooled horsesSunset
2
: to cover up : gloss over
Choose the Right Synonym for sleek

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

Examples of sleek in a Sentence

Adjective the sleek lines of a sports car a striking beauty with sleek raven hair
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.
Adjective
The black tiger stripes are a sleek touch, and the orange trim around the numbers adds continuity. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 Her sleek black blowout was wrapped up in XL hair rollers, before her big bombshell reveal on the catwalk. Essence, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Wade’s pair sits comfortably between those poles — sleek enough for a gala, directional enough to read as trend-aware. Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2025 Since your bottom half will be especially busy, keep things sleek up top with a simple tank, a plain T-shirt, or a sleek leather jacket. Aemilia Madden, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sleek

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

alteration of slick entry 1

Verb

Middle English sleken, alteration of sliken — more at slick entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleek was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sleek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleek. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

sleek

1 of 2 verb
: to make or become sleek

sleek

2 of 2 adjective
1
a
: smooth and glossy as if polished
sleek dark hair
b
: having a smooth healthy well-groomed look
sleek cattle grazing
2
: having a prosperous look or manner
sleekly adverb
sleekness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sleek

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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