slipper

1 of 2

noun

slip·​per ˈsli-pər 

: a light low-cut shoe that is easily slipped on the foot

slippered

ˈsli-pərd 

adjective

slipper

2 of 2

adjective

chiefly dialectal

: slippery

Examples of slipper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With Jeans and a Black Coat The Row’s Stella slipper in burgundy lends a fashion-forward finish to classic blue jeans and an everyday wool jacket. — Christina Holevas, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026

This wouldn’t be a list of gifts for homebodies without slippers, of course. — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 2 Nov. 2026

And just in time for the holidays, cozy clogs are surpassing slippers as the hottest gift of the season, giving everyday outfits a timeless, more practical appeal. — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2026

The hybrid shoe looks like a pretty suede flat but is lined by ultra soft fluff that gives it a cozy slipper feel. — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 28 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English slypper, from slippen "to slip entry 1" + -er -er entry 2

Adjective

Middle English slipir, sliper "causing something to slide or slip, deceitful," going back to Old English slipor, sliper, going back to Germanic *slip-ra- (whence also Old High German sleffar "sloping downward"), adjective derivative from the base of Germanic *sleipan- (strong verb) "to slide, slip" (whence Middle Dutch slīpen "to smooth, polish, sharpen," Middle Low German, "to glide, sink, slip," Old High German slīfan "to slide, pass away, decline"), of uncertain origin

Note: The adjective slipper has been effectively replaced by its derivative slippery, though the former was in existence in dialect late enough to be noticed by the Survey of English Dialects, which recorded it in Devon and Cornwall (see Survey of English Dialects: The Dictionary and Grammar, Routledge, 1994, s.v.). — The Germanic verb has been compared with Greek olibrón, glossed by Hesychius with olisthērón "slippery," though the assumption of an Indo-European etymon *h₃slib-ro-, with both *b and a laryngeal preceding a sibilant, seems questionable. Parallel to *sleipan- is a verb *sleupan- "to creep, glide," which has been explained as a secondary formation based on near-synonymous *sleuban- (see slip entry 5, sleeve). As all these bases are ultimately of phonesthemic origin and can presumably be reshaped by variation of phonesthemic origin, it is difficult to disentangle inheritance from innovation. Compare slip entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing slipper

• ballerina slipper
• ballet slipper
• carpet slipper
• lady's slipper
• slipper chair
• toe slipper

Rhymes for slipper

• chipper
• clipper
• dipper
• flipper
• gripper
• kipper
• nipper
• ripper
• shipper
• skipper
• stripper
• tipper

Kids Definition

slipper

noun

slip·​per

ˈslip-ər

: a light low shoe without laces that is easily slipped on or off

slippered

-ərd

adjective