Synonyms of sticky

sticky

adjective

ˈsti-kē 

1

as in adhesive

tending to adhere to objects upon contact

both sides of the tape are sticky, making it a little tricky to work with

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• nonviscous
• nonadhesive

2

as in humid

containing or characterized by an uncomfortable amount of moisture

a warm sticky day when all we wanted to do was sit somewhere with air-conditioning

Synonyms & Similar Words

• humid
• damp
• moist
• muggy
• wet
• sultry
• tropical
• heavy
• oppressive
• tropic
• steamy
• subtropical
• sweltering
• clammy
• summery
• torrid
• saturated
• soggy
• dripping
• semitropical
• suffocating
• soaked
• sodden
• stuffy
• smothering
• dank
• stifling
• sopping
• close
• drenched
• waterlogged
• soaking
• summerlike
• washed
• subhumid
• watery
• bathed
• watered
• awash
• soppy
• doused
• soused

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dry
• fresh
• cool
• refreshing
• crisp
• bracing
• dusty
• arid
• dehydrated
• baked
• scorched
• burned
• thirsty
• droughty
• desert
• semiarid
• parched
• invigorating
• sunbaked
• waterless
• sere
• seared

3

as in difficult

requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling

an especially sticky conversation about money matters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• difficult
• tough
• sensitive
• problematic
• complicated
• tricky
• delicate
• hairy
• thorny
• nasty
• touchy
• spiny
• hard
• problem
• knotty
• ticklish
• prickly
• complex
• catchy
• dodgy
• serious
• painful
• tricksy
• intricate
• troublesome
• abstract
• stubborn
• abstruse
• recondite
• vexing
• involved
• worrisome
• scabrous
• vexatious
• oppressive
• onerous
• inconvenient
• troublous
• stressful
• burdensome
• importunate
• exhausting
• demanding
• exacting
• discommoding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• simple
• manageable
• straightforward
• uncomplicated
• painless
• effortless
• unproblematic
• undemanding

4

as in sentimental

appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way

sticky love scenes that will bore cynics to death

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sentimental
• sloppy
• wet
• gooey
• fuzzy
• drippy
• sugary
• cloying
• mushy
• slushy
• saccharine
• soupy
• mawkish
• sappy
• soppy
• sugarcoated
• corny
• schmaltzy
• maudlin
• chocolate-box
• spoony
• lovey-dovey
• fruity
• nostalgic
• dreamy
• soapy
• feel-good
• moony
• novelettish
• sudsy
• moonstruck
• melodramatic
• insipid
• vapid
• misty-eyed
• tasteless
• watery
• cutesy
• starry-eyed
• flat
• soft-boiled
• soap-operatic
• twee

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsentimental
• unadulterated
• unvarnished
• cynical
• hardheaded
• hard-edged
• antisentimental
• hard-boiled

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sticky

The team coated the yeast in sticky proteins inspired by ocean mussels. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 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

Phrases Containing sticky

• sticky wicket