stickier; stickiest
Synonyms of stickynext
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 stickyLewis Carroll
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.
The clearest signs of using too much laundry detergent are residue on clothes, stiff or sticky fabric after a wash, excessive suds during the cycle and a musty smell coming from your machine. Ryan Brennan may 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026 Adjusting to feeling sticky and sweaty and wrangling your AC unit into the window is hard enough. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 14 May 2026 How To Lower The Humidity In Your House If the indoors feel sticky and muggy like the outdoors, there are some easy ways to lower the humidity to a more comfortable level. Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 13 May 2026 Using a flexible bench scraper or hard plastic spatula, fold dough over and onto itself several times, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, to bring together into a mass (dough will feel very wet and sticky). Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 May 2026 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 15 May. 2026.

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

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