26984 words

slippery

6 definitions • 11 examples
1
If something is slippery, it is wet or smooth so that it slides easily or causes something to slide:

Examples:

slippery soap
a slippery floor
The road was wet and slippery.
2
Someone who is slippery cannot be trusted:

Examples:

He's as slippery as an eel - you can never get a straight answer out of him.
He's a slippery customer (= person), and I've never felt comfortable with him.
3
(of a word, an idea, etc.) difficult to define (= to say what its meaning is) or to understand completely:

Examples:

Realism in art is a notoriously slippery term to define.
The lawyers argued that the word "intended" is a decidedly slippery one.
They agreed that finance is a particularly slippery domain.
4
sliding easily or causing something to slide because of being wet, smooth, or oily:

Examples:

The sidewalks were slippery with ice.
5
Slippery also means not certain:

Examples:

Choosing the perfect juror can be a slippery matter.
6
infml A person who is slippery is someone you feel you cannot trust:

Examples:

He is a slippery fellow, full of schemes.

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