slick

adjective

\ ˈslik

Definition of slick

(Entry 1 of 4)

1a : having a smooth surface : slippery slick wet leaves

b : having surface plausibility or appeal : glossy slick advertising

c : based on stereotype : trite slick stories soon forgotten

2a : characterized by subtlety or nimble wit : clever especially : wily a slick swindler

b : deft, skillful a slick ballplayer

3 : extremely good : first-rate

4 archaic : sleek sense 1

slick

verb

slicked; slicking; slicks

Definition of slick (Entry 2 of 4)

transitive verb

: to make sleek or smooth

intransitive verb

: spruce —usually used with up

slick

noun

Definition of slick (Entry 3 of 4)

1a : something that is smooth or slippery especially : a smooth patch of water covered with a film of oil

b : a film of oil

2 : an automobile tire made without a tread for maximum traction (as in drag racing)

3 : an implement for producing a smooth or slick surface

4 : a shrewd untrustworthy person

5 : a popular magazine printed on coated stock and intended to appeal to sophisticated readers

6 slang : a military helicopter without armaments that is used to transport troops or light cargo

slick

adverb

Definition of slick (Entry 4 of 4)

informal, dated

: in a smooth or clever manner "I must say they did it slick enough. They were old hands at the business."— Jack London

Other Words from slick Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about slick

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Choose the Right Synonym for slick

Adjective

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

sly, cunning, crafty, wily, tricky, foxy, artful, slick mean attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means. sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods. a sly corporate raider cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing. the cunning fox avoided the trap crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method. a crafty lefthander wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering. the wily fugitive escaped the posse tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering. a tricky political operative foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing. a foxy publicity man planting stories artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness. elicited the information by artful questioning slick emphasizes smoothness and guile. slick operators selling time-sharing

Examples of slick in a Sentence

Adjective

Be careful as you drive home—the roads are slick. big corporations and their slick lawyers The new kid had some slick moves on the basketball court. The students did a slick job of promoting the concert. The video game has slick graphics.

Verb

The rain slicked the roads. slicking the bottom of their skis with wax

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

This juxtaposition—photos of slick finish hung on a stripped structure—suggests a disconnect. — Laura Jacobs, WSJ, "‘Eckhaus Latta: Possessed’ Review: Sustainability for Sale," 13 Aug. 2018 Gabriel Jesus gave Brazil the lead after 36 minutes with a slick finish from a tight angle. — Eric Willemsen, chicagotribune.com, "Neymar shines as Brazil beats Austria 3-0 in final World Cup warmup," 10 June 2018 In the Pacific Northwest, lows plunged into the teens in Seattle, making roads slick and closing schools throughout the area for a second day. — Gillian Flaccus, The Seattle Times, "Snow in San Francisco? Mild cities don’t escape winter storm," 6 Feb. 2019 Likewise, the Laptop 2’s trackpad is glass-covered, very slick, and very comfortable to use. — Dan Seifert, The Verge, "Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 review: if it ain’t broke," 16 Oct. 2018 Mayor Kline is a handsome, slick, and sleazy '80s politician who's more concerned with his own image than with the citizens of Hawkins. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "Here's Everything We Know About "Stranger Things" Season 3 So Far," 16 July 2018 Excellent stage presence, strong voice, and slick moves — the Peacock can do no wrong. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "See Who Is Still Left on 'The Masked Singer'," 9 Feb. 2019 Selena Gomez was the maid of honor at her friend Courtney Barry's wedding yesterday in L.A. The singer and actress wore sleeveless black gown with jewel embellishments with her hair in a slick bun. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Selena Gomez Was a Beautiful Maid of Honor at Her Best Friend's Wedding," 22 Feb. 2019 Manny Machado, the big-hitting, slick-fielding infielder, was going to be paid $300 million to wear Padres brown and gold for the next decade. — John Marshall, The Seattle Times, "Padres buzzing over impending arrival of Manny Machado," 20 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

For his upcoming film The Beach Bum, Zac has been sporting a tousled ‘do with blonde highlights, slicked up and often held in place with a brightly colored sports band. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Zac Efron's Hair for "The Beach Bum" Was Inspired By a Panini," 16 Mar. 2019 Kim opted for a slicked-back, almost wet look hairdo and a dramatic eye to complement her look and the futuristic theme of the 2016 Met Gala, Manus X Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. — Carrie Goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Jennifer Lopez's Oscar Gown Might Have Been Inspired By Kim Kardashian," 25 Feb. 2019 In his temporary role as Fred Andrews, KJ has ditched Archie's infamous red hair, and instead wears a very slicked back 'do. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Here’s Your First Look at the “Riverdale” Cast in the Upcoming Throwback Episode," 16 Oct. 2018 Working her hair magic, Ariana slicked the style back, with not a strand out of place. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Ariana Grande Wore a Twisted Bun During a Shopping Trip," 22 Oct. 2018 His slicked-back hair is not unlike the 1950s 'do that his character has been known to wear. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "The Cast of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Has Arrived at the 2019 Golden Globes Looking Amazing," 7 Jan. 2019 The streets were rain-slicked and icy, but in Marunouchi, safely in the US zone of Tokyo, that was no deterrent. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "Two unlikely cops are paired up to solve murders in a war-torn Tokyo in Ninth Step Station," 8 Dec. 2018 From what can be seen, the style seems to be slicked down in front, then fastened into a low ponytail that falls just below the belt. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "Jennifer Lopez Shows Off Extra Long Ponytail by Stylist Chris Appleton," 17 July 2018 In the holiday feature, viewers get to see the beautiful area where bakery worker Ellie (Brooke D'Orsay) and city-slicking CEO Nick (Daniel Lissing) will battle over the future of the business, which is renown for its Christmas Kringle pastries. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, Country Living, "Hallmark's New 'Christmas in Love' Movie Was Filmed in the Most Romantic Small Town," 11 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Futuristic Hair Is More Sculptural (and Shiny!) Than Ever Individual texture has, at long last, become a runway mainstay, and Proenza Schouler's parade of futuristic, hyper-individual slick backs felt refreshingly raw. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "9 Beauty Trends That Blew Up on the Fall 2019 Runways," 8 Mar. 2019 Behind the big pushrod V8 is a superb seven-speed manual gearbox, with a heavy clutch and a slick, notchless gate (an eight-speed automatic, pictured here, is also available). — Dan Neil, WSJ, "2019 Corvette ZR1: The Last, and Best, of Its Kind," 28 Nov. 2018 Still, Sean Kuraly found some open ice in front of Andersen and fired in a one-timer off of Matt Grzelcyk’s slick back-handed feed with less than three minutes to go in the second. — Tyler Horka, SI.com, "Stanley Cup Playoffs Roundup: Toronto Stops Late Surge From Boston to Force Game 6," 21 Apr. 2018 There’s the slick, young emcee, orchestrating the show one minute and singing in a sweet tenor the next. — New York Times, "Fun Things to Do This Weekend: Pride, Summer Solstice and Sensory Overload in Brighton Beach," 21 June 2018 Contractors will grind a slick 3-mile stretch of concrete pavement that contributed to a pair of truck crashes last week. — Mike Lindblom, The Seattle Times, "Slippery I-90 lane closed for emergency fix in Cle Elum," 9 Oct. 2018 After grabbing the slick and shifty Denisenko with the No. — Craig Davis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Panthers emphasize offense in NHL draft, nab forwards with top four of six picks," 23 June 2018 Reports surfaced that the slick, crusty green was rolled on Saturday morning, which the golfers said the USGA ordered, though the USGA denied ordering it. — Marcus Hayes, Philly.com, "USGA says No. 7 at Shinnecock won't happen in this year's U.S. Open. But what will? | Marcus Hayes," 22 May 2018 An Airbnb can be many things: A comfortable, no-frills studio that will do for a night; a slick, photoshoot-ready loft; a charming location for an elegant bachelorette weekend. — Max Maeckler, Vogue, "You Can Rent a Pineapple Palace on the Airbnb For Historic Homes," 16 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slick.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.