Slippery
/ˈslɪpəri/
adjectiveB1
Definition
Slippery means something is smooth or wet so that it is easy to lose balance or grip on it. When a floor or road is slippery, it can be dangerous because you might fall or slide. It can also describe a person or idea that is hard to catch or understand.
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See It in Action
Difficult to hold or walk on because of smoothness or wetness
- •The floor was slippery after the rain, so be careful.
- •Ice is very slippery, so people walk slowly on it.
- •The soap made the bathtub slippery and dangerous.
Difficult to understand or catch (used for people or ideas)
- •He is a slippery character; you never know what he will do next.
- •The answer was slippery and hard to explain clearly.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "slippery" like "wet" but with the idea that you can easily slide and lose control
- ✓Picture walking on ice or a wet floor where your feet move without you wanting them to
- ✓It's the feeling when you try to hold a fish, and it slips out of your hands because it is wet and smooth
- ✓Sounds like "slip" + "ery" → imagine something that makes you slip very easily
- ✓Remember cartoons where characters slide on banana peels—that’s a slippery surface causing the fall
- ✓NOT like "rough" (which is hard to slide on), slippery means smooth and hard to hold or stand on
- ✓NOT like "sticky" (which holds things tightly), slippery means things slide away easily
Try Other Words
- •Slick: very smooth and slippery, often because of oil or water (Use when the surface is especially shiny or oily)
- •Slimy: slippery because of a wet, soft, and sometimes unpleasant surface (Use when the surface feels wet and a little dirty or sticky)
- •Smooth: flat and even surface without roughness (Use when no danger of slipping is involved)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: root "slip" + suffix "-ery" (which turns verbs into adjectives meaning "full of" or "having the quality of")
- •Etymology: From Old English "slipian" meaning to slide or glide, with "-y" suffix to describe quality
- •Historical development: Used since Middle English to describe surfaces causing sliding; also used metaphorically for tricky people or ideas
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe roads, floors, objects, or behavior that is hard to hold or understand because it causes sliding or is tricky
Reflect & Connect
•Can something be slippery but not dangerous? When might that happen?
•How do you stay safe when walking on slippery surfaces in your country?
Fill in the blanks
1.The road was slippery because of the ___ rain that made the ground wet.
2.When the floor is slippery, you need to walk ___ to avoid falling.
3.A slippery person is often ___ to understand or trust.
4.The soap made the bathtub slippery, causing people to ___ easily.
5.Surfaces that are slippery usually feel ___ or wet to the touch.
6.Unlike sticky surfaces, slippery ones make things ___ away quickly.
7.To prevent slipping on a slippery surface, you should wear shoes with good ___ .