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

Prepare for possibly slippery and muddy mosh pits at Shaky Knees or an evening inside because some stormy weather is expected Saturday in Atlanta, even while feels-like temperatures will climb to triple digits. — Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Rocks and boulders in and along creeks will often be slippery from years of erosion. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

The Panthers allowed a pair of 100-yard rushers (D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai) and had no solution for Williams, the slippery, dual-threat athlete who accounted for 334 yards (including 65 on the ground) and three touchdowns. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Oil and water don’t mix, meaning that oil added to pasta water will just float on the surface, creating a slippery film on the pasta once it’s drained. — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 12 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