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

• 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

As lions dozed in the scorching midday sun, her guide spotted a cobra slithering toward the sleeping cats. —Doc Louallen, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2025

Their layers of meaning multiplied and slithered out of my grasp. —Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025

Sáez warned residents not to touch the slithering creatures, even with gloves. —Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025

The video shows a slithering mass of babies and mom on a sunny day in the gardens in Ann Arbor Township. —Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th 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