slither

verb

slith·​er ˈsli-t͟hər 

slithered; slithering; slithers

intransitive verb

1

: to slide on or as if on a loose gravelly surface

2

: to slip or slide like a snake

transitive verb

: to cause to slide

Synonyms of slither

• snake
• crawl
• creep
• slide

Examples of slither in a Sentence

The snake slithered through the garden.

To get under the porch, I lay on my stomach and slithered like a snake.

She slithered quietly into the room.

He slithered his hand around her waist.

Recent Examples on the Web

Look for a variety of birds of prey, slithering reptiles, and little critters that run from here to there. — Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

This is believed to be the first slithering creature seen at a football practice since Drew Rosenhaus. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

The snake, later identified as an approximately eight-foot-long Burmese python, had slithered beneath the floor of a wooden shed. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026

Laura stepped right into her body, felt a small resistance and then the give as the rival slithered, eagerly, into the air. — Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English slideren, from Old English slidrian, frequentative of slīdan to slide

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for slither

• cither
• dither
• hither
• ither
• thither
• whither
• zither

Kids Definition

slither

verb

slith·​er ˈslit͟h-ər 

1

: to slide or cause to slide on or as if on a loose gravelly surface

2

: to slip or slide like a snake