sticky

adjective

ˈsti-kē 

stickier; stickiest

1

a

: adhesive

a sticky material

b(1)

: viscous, gluey

sticky syrup

(2)

: coated with a sticky substance

sticky little fingers

… it must have been just repainted, it looked so bright and sticky …

—Lewis Carroll

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

stickily

ˈsti-kə-lē 

adverb

stickiness

ˈsti-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of sticky

• adhesive

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

Inflation has remained sticky and above central-bank targets over the past year, making further policy tightening unsurprising, according to the UBS CEO. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

Diagnosed at age 3 with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that clogs the lungs with sticky mucus, Smith grew up with doctors expecting a cure to arrive in time to save her. — Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Crews removed grass over 4,400 square feet, put down mulch and park benches and planted 173 species of native plants, such as deer grass, ceanothus, sticky monkey flower, red buckwheat and manzanita. — Paul Rogers, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026

Rice White and brown rice cooked in the slow cooker can turn into a sticky, gluey mess more akin to wall paper paste than food. — Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sticky

• sticky bun
• sticky fingers
• sticky note
• sticky rice
• sticky-sweet
• sticky tape
• sticky wicket

Rhymes for sticky

• dickie
• dicky
• hickey
• micky
• nicky
• picky
• quickie
• rickey
• tricky
• colicky

Kids Definition

sticky

adjective

ˈstik-ē 

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

ˈstik-ə-lē 

adverb

stickiness

ˈstik-ē-nəs 

noun