stickier; stickiest
1
3
: tending to stick
4
a
: disagreeable, unpleasant
came to a sticky end
c
: difficult, problematic
a sticky situation
5
: excessively sentimental : cloying
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
What more might Huffman’s project have been able to convey in a sticky-floored basement full of folding chairs and old Christmas lights, with audience on all sides, able to smell the performers’ sweat?
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Its debut menu is an ode to Taiwanese pop culture and food, with inventive fusions like arancini made of sticky rice, panna cotta topped with oolong boba, and Liu’s favorite, an oyster omelette frittata.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 5 Dec. 2025
The young people, bereft of WI-Fi and purpose, look for escape routes and discover that history is sticky.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Humidity is synonymous with sticky summers in the South, where residents survive it with ceiling fans, sweet tea, and breezy clothing.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sticky
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.
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Its debut menu is an ode to Taiwanese pop culture and food, with inventive fusions like arancini made of sticky rice, panna cotta topped with oolong boba, and Liu’s favorite, an oyster omelette frittata.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 5 Dec. 2025
The young people, bereft of WI-Fi and purpose, look for escape routes and discover that history is sticky.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Humidity is synonymous with sticky summers in the South, where residents survive it with ceiling fans, sweet tea, and breezy clothing.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sticky
Cite this Entry
“Sticky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sticky. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sticky
adjective
stickier; stickiest
1
a
: adhesive entry 1, gluey
sticky syrup
b
: coated with a sticky substance
the tabletop was sticky
3
: tending to stick
sticky windows
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share