stickier; stickiest
1
a
b(1)
(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
c
: difficult, problematic
a sticky situation
5
: excessively sentimental : cloying
stickily adverb
stickiness noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Summer in the city has become sticky and unbearable. Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 6 Sep. 2025 The tariffs also look to have driven up sticky inflation, with Trump pressuring Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to cut rates, in great part to get the housing market moving again. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025 Soap/Shampoo Residue While soap and shampoo don't create dust themselves, their residue creates the perfect sticky place for dust particles to attach to. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025 Dew points have hovered in the mid-60s, a sign of sticky conditions that could fuel downpours. Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sticky

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sticky was in 1688

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sticky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sticky. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

sticky

adjective
stickier; stickiest
1
a
: adhesive entry 1, gluey
sticky syrup
b
: coated with a sticky substance
the tabletop was sticky
2
: muggy, humid
a hot sticky day
3
: tending to stick
sticky windows
stickily adverb
stickiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sticky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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