slippery

/'slipəri/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
slippery

The sidewalk is slippery after the rain.

Definition

Adjective 1. Having a surface that is smooth, wet, or icy and therefore causes or tends to cause things to slip or slide. 2. (Figurative) Not to be trusted; evasive, deceitful, or unreliable.

Usage and Examples

  • Literal Meaning (Physical Surface):

    • Be careful on the slippery floor near the pool.
    • The road became slippery after the ice storm.
    • He dropped the slippery bar of soap in the shower.

  • Figurative Meaning (Untrustworthy):

    • The salesman had a slippery manner, so we didn't sign the contract.
    • She's known for being slippery with the truth when it's convenient.
    • Politicians are often accused of giving slippery, non-committal answers.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
  • "Slippery slope" (Idiom): A course of action that seems to lead inevitably from one unacceptable result to another worse one.
    • Critics argue that the new policy is the first step on a slippery slope towards less freedom.
  • "Slippery as an eel" (Simile): Extremely difficult to catch, hold, or pin down, either physically or in an argument.
    • The suspect was slippery as an eel, evading the police for weeks.
    • Trying to get a straight answer from him is like trying to hold onto an eel—he's so slippery.
Variants and Related Words
  • Slipperiness (noun): The quality or state of being slippery.
    • The slipperiness of the wet tiles caused the accident.
  • Slippy (adjective, chiefly British/informal): An informal variant meaning slippery.
    • The pavement is slippy where the snow has melted.
Synonyms
  • For the physical sense: slick, greasy, icy, glassy, smooth, lubricated.
  • For the figurative sense: devious, cunning, untrustworthy, shifty, tricky, evasive, deceitful.
Antonyms
  • For the physical sense: rough, coarse, dry, abrasive, grippy.
  • For the figurative sense: trustworthy, reliable, straightforward, honest, direct.
slippery

The sidewalk is slippery after the rain.

Adjective
  1. not to be trusted
    • how extraordinarily slippery a liar the camera is- James Agee
  2. causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide
    • slippery sidewalks
    • a slippery bar of soap
    • the streets are still slippy from the rain

Từ đồng nghĩa

Từ trái nghĩa

Từ tương tự

Từ gần giống

Từ chứa "slippery"

Từ có nhắc đến "slippery"