Definition

Adjective: - Moving as if on a slippery surface; sliding or losing traction. This describes a motion that is not secure or stable, often characterized by an uncontrolled slide or glide.

Usage

The adjective "slipping" is used to describe something or someone that is in the act of sliding unintentionally or losing its grip. It often implies a lack of control or stability in movement.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • His slipping and slithering progress over the ice was slow and precarious.
  • The hiker made a slipping descent down the muddy slope.
  • We could hear the slipping tires on the wet pavement.

Advanced Usage

• "Slipping" as a descriptor for gradual decline or loss: While the core meaning is physical, it can be applied metaphorically to describe a decline that feels uncontrolled or steady.
  • The company is on a slipping trajectory in the market. (Here, it suggests a decline as if sliding down.)
• Used in compound adjectives before a noun to specify the type of motion.
  • The slipping-clutch mechanism needed adjustment.

Variants and Related Words

• Slip (verb): To slide unintentionally, to lose one's footing.
• Slippery (adjective): Causing or likely to cause slipping.
• Slippage (noun): The act or an instance of slipping.

Synonyms

• Sliding: Moving smoothly along a surface.
• Skidding: Sliding sideways or uncontrollably (often for vehicles).
• Gliding: Moving smoothly and continuously (can be more controlled than slipping).

Antonyms

• Gripping: Holding firmly.
• Stable: Firmly fixed; not likely to slip.
• Secure: Fixed or fastened so as not to give way or become loose.

Related Phrases

• Slipping away: (Phrasal verb) To leave quietly or unnoticed; to gradually disappear or be lost.
  • She caught the thief just as he was slipping away from the scene.
  • My confidence has been slipping away since the failure.
• Slipping into: (Phrasal verb) To pass into a particular state, often gradually or unconsciously.
  • He found himself slipping into a deep sleep.
  • The country was slipping into an economic crisis.

Adjective

1. moving as on a slippery surface
   • his slipping and slithering progress over the ice