sticky

adjective

\ ˈsti-kē

stickier; stickiest

Definition of sticky

1a : adhesive

b(1) : viscous, gluey

(2) : coated with a sticky substance

2 : humid, muggy also : clammy

3 : tending to stick

4a : disagreeable, unpleasant came to a sticky end

b : awkward, stiff

c : difficult, problematic a sticky situation

5 : excessively sentimental : cloying

Other Words from sticky Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about sticky

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Examples of sticky in a Sentence

The sap is very sticky. There is a sticky substance on the table. The paint was still sticky. The weather was hot and sticky.

Recent Examples on the Web

This sticky film can accumulate on your teeth and lead to issues like cavities and sore, puffy gums. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What Is a Water Flosser and Should You Be Using One?," 26 Feb. 2019 There are a few gear essentials everyone who drives off-road should carry, like a winch and a pair of Maxtrax recovery boards to extract you from sticky situations. — Timothy Dahl, Popular Mechanics, "This Pocket-Sized Gadget Airs Down Your Tires For Off-Roading in Seconds," 9 Jan. 2019 But Alaska in late fall is bitterly cold, and frozen asphalt can take a week or longer to melt into a sticky, pliable material. — Mary Beth Griggs, The Verge, "How Alaska fixed its earthquake-shattered roads in just days," 8 Dec. 2018 In 2015, imaging tests revealed the presence of amyloid plaques, the sticky proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease that collect around brain cells and interfere with relaying messages. — Linda Marsa, Discover Magazine, "A New Treatment for Alzheimer's? It Starts With Lifestyle," 16 Nov. 2018 Remove the label from your soda bottle, scraping off all the sticky residue. 2. — Stephanie Shore Fisher, Good Housekeeping, "How to Upcycle Empty Soda Bottles Into Adorable Animal Planters," 7 Apr. 2017 Bring the spook to your Halloween dessert table with these sweet (and sticky!) decorations. — Redbook Test Kitchen, Redbook, "Marshmallow Ghosts," 19 Sep. 2018 On the Fourth of July, temperatures in Boston climbed to a hot and sticky 88 degrees. — Cristela Guerra, BostonGlobe.com, "They exercised their right to celebrate the Fourth indoors (with air conditioning)," 4 July 2018 Propolis — the sticky substance derived from tree resin that bees use to coat the hive — has impressive antifungal and antibacterial effects on skin. — Cristina Mueller, Town & Country, "Beauty and the Bees," 6 Dec. 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sticky.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.