sticky

adjective \ ˈsti-kē \

Updated on: 14 May 2018

Definition of sticky

stickier; stickiest

1 a : adhesive

b (1) : viscous, gluey

(2) : coated with a sticky substance

2 : humid, muggy; also : clammy

3 : tending to stick

4 a : disagreeable, unpleasant

came to a sticky end

b : awkward, stiff

c : difficult, problematic

a sticky situation

5 : excessively sentimental : cloying

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stickily

play \ˈsti-kə-lē\ adverb

—

stickiness

play \ˈsti-kē-nəs\ noun

See sticky defined for English-language learners

See sticky defined for kids

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 of sticky from the Web

Puth’s falsetto, simpering and sticky, immediately seemed well-suited to an era when producers commonly manipulate voices to sound superhumanly high and squeaky.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The New Prince of Pablum," 11 May 2018
Zhou Xing Ci’s family have farmed poppies for as long as anyone remembers, scraping the flowers' sticky brown sap to produce opium.

— ann wang, The Christian Science Monitor, "Myanmar's farmers shift from growing poppies to raising silkworms," 9 May 2018
Mother's Day stroll Dads, there's no need to break out the sticky glue or messy paint to make Mother's Day gifts with the kiddos this year.

— hannah kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Kids can make Mother's Day gifts at Boerner Botanical Gardens," 7 May 2018
Although the flavor was was on point, the texture was a bit off: wet, sticky, and gummy in a gelatinous way that was only slightly masked with sauced.

— elizabeth buxton, refinery29.com, "6 Things You Need To Know About Trader Joe's New Cauliflower Gnocchi," 2 May 2018
This particular dough is sticky, rubbery and hard to form into any kind of shape, especially a thin shape.

— kim walker, Woman's Day, "Supermarket Shortcut: Pizza Dough," 29 Mar. 2012
Ward is sticky in coverage, but not much of a tackler.

— dave birkett, Detroit Free Press, "NFL draft preview: Deep DB class could intrigue Detroit Lions on Day 2," 24 Apr. 2018
Travel to North Korea raises a number of sticky issues, not least of all the ethical issue of supporting a repressive regime.

— euan mckirdy, CNN, "Chinese tourists involved in North Korea traffic accident, government says," 23 Apr. 2018
Done Volume and Matte Texture Spray on my hair, which left it surprisingly soft, not sticky.

— rachel epstein, Marie Claire, "Here's Exactly How to Create This Insanely Cool Coachella Braid," 21 Apr. 2018

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.

First Known Use of sticky

1688

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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sticky Synonyms

STICKY Defined for English Language Learners

sticky

adjective

Definition of sticky for English Language Learners

: having a substance (such as glue or honey) on it that things easily attach to : covered in a substance that things stick to
of a substance : tending to have things attach to it : tending to have things stick to it
: unpleasantly warm and humid

STICKY Defined for Kids

sticky

adjective \ ˈsti-kē \

Definition of sticky for Students

stickier; stickiest

1 : tending to cling like glue : adhesive

sticky syrup

2 : coated with a substance that sticks to things

My fingers are sticky.

3 : muggy, humid

a sticky day

4 : tending to become blocked or jammed

sticky windows

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stickiness

noun

Learn More about sticky

See words that rhyme with sticky Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sticky Spanish Central: Translation of sticky Nglish: Translation of sticky for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sticky for Arabic speakers

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sticky

Definition of sticky

stickily

stickiness

Examples of sticky in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sticky from the Web

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STICKY Defined for English Language Learners

sticky

Definition of sticky for English Language Learners

STICKY Defined for Kids

sticky

Definition of sticky for Students

stickiness

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