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 neon green pair stands out under all those slick layers. — Avery Matera, Glamour, "17 Ways to Wear Thigh-High Boots This Winter," 11 Jan. 2019 Moscow gets wicked cold and the BREM-1 can tow airliners that slide off slick runways. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Moscow Airport Buys Tank Recovery Vehicle for Airport Emergencies," 9 Jan. 2019 In the spring of the following year, Volvo rolled out its V90, a slick descendant of the boxy, yuppie tanks that made the brand famous in the 1980s. — Kyle Stock, The Seattle Times, "Richer Americans are skipping SUVs for station wagons," 7 Jan. 2019 Alongside the slick ad campaigns for famous global brands — Visa, Adidas, Coca-Cola — there will be a proliferation of pitches from obscure companies with names like Mengniu, Vivo and Wanda. — New York Times, "China Won’t Play in This World Cup. It Still Hopes to Profit.," 30 May 2018 Donald Trump and his party (the two are now essentially indistinguishable) have launched a slick public relations campaign to discredit former FBI Director James Comey. — Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Attacks Comey for Handing Him the Presidency," 12 Apr. 2018 Winter weather overnight left some roads covered in snow or slick with ice, causing some area schools to close on Wednesday. — Mandy Mclaren, The Courier-Journal, "JCPS, other Louisville-area schools closed on Wednesday due to winter weather," 21 Mar. 2018 The car also scared the wits out of us on a few blind hairpin turns slick with damp leaves. — Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, "Review: With the 2018 Porsche 911 GT3, drive it like you stole it," 9 Mar. 2018 Cartels first used his image in the 1980s as part of a slick PR campaign to suggest that their criminal empire was built to provide economic opportunity for the country’s poor. — Johnny Magdaleno, Newsweek, "Mexican Drug Cartels May Use Legal Marijuana to Increase Their Presence in Northern California," 10 Jan. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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 Yes, the Buffalo native with the slicked-back hair just positioned himself as a front-runner for the next installment of the ABC reality show. — Jessica Radloff, Glamour, "Is Jason Tartick the Next Bachelor?," 24 July 2018 The Tre looks completely different from the Nikola One and Two, which have a more slicked-back aerodynamic style. — Sean O'kane, The Verge, "Nikola teases a third-generation hydrogen semi truck for Europe and Asia," 5 Nov. 2018 With slicked-back grey hair and a frail frame, Salemme is almost unrecognizable from the bulky mob boss depicted in grainy surveillance photos from his heyday. — Fox News, "Ex-Mafia boss 'Cadillac Frank' sentenced to life in prison," 13 Sep. 2018 The crisp, white look was further accented by her slicked back blonde hair and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "Kylie Jenner Arrived to the VMAs in a Classic White Blazer Dress," 21 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

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 In 2011, Daniel, a slick left winger, led the league with 104 points, and won the Ted Lindsay Award, the Most Valuable Player Award voted by the N.H.L. Players’ Association. — Lucas Aykroyd, New York Times, "One Last Time in Vancouver: Henrik Sedin to Daniel Sedin for a Goal," 6 Apr. 2018 That estimate if far above the 16,000 gallons (60,500 liters) of oil that the U.S. Coast Guard estimated in 2015 had been spotted in slicks over seven months. — Jeff Amy, The Seattle Times, "Federal lawyers: Gulf oil leak spills much more than thought," 17 Sep. 2018 Laura Taylor and Ryan Holliday-Stevens aren't minimal purists, but they like a sleek line, sculptural elements, a slick cut, solid black and white with an occasional intense wash of color. — Kerry Pieri, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Solace London Designer Wears The Pants, Four Chic Ways," 26 July 2018 The styles are rich-guy slick and beautifully detailed. — Megan Gustashaw, GQ, "Your 2018 Sunglasses Shopping Guide," 28 Mar. 2018 Thoroughly coat the fillet and an inch or so of the surrounding parchment with the olive oil, creating a slick and glossy surface. 4. — Gabrielle Hamilton, House Beautiful, "Gabrielle Hamilton's Salmon With Creamy Lemon Rice," 14 Mar. 2012

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.