Synonyms of adhesive

adhesive 1 of 2

adjective

ad-ˈhē-siv 

as in sticky

tending to adhere to objects upon contact

walked barefoot through adhesive, clayey mud

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sticky
• adherent
• gummy
• tacky
• glutinous
• tenacious
• gluey
• viscid
• clingy
• viscous
• gelatinous
• gooey
• syrupy
• ropy
• tarry
• pitchy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• nonviscous
• nonadhesive

adhesive

2 of 2

noun

as in glue

a substance used to stick things together

prefers postage stamps coated with adhesive so that she doesn't have to do any licking

Synonyms & Similar Words

• glue
• cement
• size
• epoxy
• bond
• mucilage
• epoxy resin
• gum
• water glass
• superglue
• paste
• goo
• library paste
• dope

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of adhesive

Adjective

As with the garden snails, there is one that acts as a lubricant to help with locomotion and an adhesive mucus to help the snail stick to various surfaces. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026

Removable adhesive strips should be just fine to use on a cinderblock dorm wall. — Jenny Hughes, The Spruce, 27 July 2026

Noun

With other phones, even something simple like replacing an aging battery often requires melting adhesive, prying apart fragile glass panels, and decoupling cables. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026

Company scientist Arthur Fry used the policy in 1974 to turn a colleague’s dormant adhesive into the first Post-it prototypes, after his own bookmarks kept falling out of his hymnal. — IEEE Spectrum, 17 Aug. 2026