slick

1 of 4

adjective

ˈslik 

slicker; slickest

1

a

: having a smooth surface : slippery

slick wet leaves

b

: having surface plausibility or appeal : glossy

slick advertising

c

: based on stereotype : trite

slick stories soon forgotten

2

a

: characterized by subtlety or nimble wit : clever

especially : wily

a slick swindler

b

: deft, skillful

a slick ballplayer

3

: extremely good : first-rate

4

archaic : sleek sense 1

slickly adverb

slickness noun

slick

2 of 4

verb

slicked; slicking; slicks

transitive verb

: to make sleek or smooth

intransitive verb

: spruce

—usually used with up

slick

3 of 4

noun

1

a

: something that is smooth or slippery

especially : a smooth patch of water covered with a film of oil

b

: a film of oil

2

: an automobile tire made without a tread for maximum traction (as in drag racing)

3

: an implement for producing a smooth or slick surface

4

: a shrewd untrustworthy person

5

: a popular magazine printed on coated stock and intended to appeal to sophisticated readers

6

slang : a military helicopter without armaments that is used to transport troops or light cargo

slick

4 of 4

adverb

dated, informal

: in a smooth or clever manner

"I must say they did it slick enough. They were old hands at the business."

—Jack London

Synonyms

Adjective

• greased
• greasy
• lubricated
• oiled
• slicked
• slippery
• slippy
• slithery

Verb

• grease
• lubricate
• oil
• wax

Choose the Right Synonym for slick

sleek, slick, glossy mean having a smooth bright surface or appearance.

sleek suggests a smoothness or brightness resulting from attentive grooming or physical conditioning.

a sleek racehorse

slick suggests extreme smoothness that results in a slippery surface.

slipped and fell on the slick floor

glossy suggests a highly reflective surface.

photographs having a glossy finish

sly, cunning, crafty, wily, tricky, foxy, artful, slick mean attaining or seeking to attain one's ends by guileful or devious means.

sly implies furtiveness, lack of candor, and skill in concealing one's aims and methods.

a sly corporate raider

cunning suggests the inventive use of sometimes limited intelligence in overreaching or circumventing.

the cunning fox avoided the trap

crafty implies cleverness and subtlety of method.

a crafty lefthander

wily implies skill and deception in maneuvering.

the wily fugitive escaped the posse

tricky is more likely to suggest shiftiness and unreliability than skill in deception and maneuvering.

a tricky political operative

foxy implies a shrewd and wary craftiness usually involving devious dealing.

a foxy publicity man planting stories

artful implies indirectness in dealing and often connotes sophistication or cleverness.

elicited the information by artful questioning

slick emphasizes smoothness and guile.

slick operators selling time-sharing

Examples of slick in a Sentence

Adjective

Be careful as you drive home—the roads are slick.

big corporations and their slick lawyers

The new kid had some slick moves on the basketball court.

The students did a slick job of promoting the concert.

The video game has slick graphics.

Verb

The rain slicked the roads.

slicking the bottom of their skis with wax

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The result is a slick cupboard of curiosities that can seamlessly blend in with the best midcentury modern furniture without sacrificing function. —Martin Lerma, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024

Antetokounmpo rewards him with a slick pass, leading to another layup. —Brian Sampson, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Verb

One image in the series captures the deep release of the springs: a young woman in the water with her back to the camera, her hair wet and slick down her back, while her male companion dunks his head back, only his face visible, upturned to the sky above. —Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024

Hairstylist Marissa Marino, who often works with Gomez, parted the star's hair slightly to the side, blew it out straight, and slicked it down, tucking both front sections behind her ears and flipping the ends out in upturned wings that just barely brushed her collarbones. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 21 Oct. 2024

Noun

The massive slick of oil engulfed and killed hundreds of marine animals, including, seals, dolphins and pelicans. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024

But also, look, few sandwiches probably couldn’t be improved with a slick of Thousand Island or Russian dressing. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2024

Adverb

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo Inside, the Silverado ZR2 has a slick-looking dashboard that features a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel next to a massive 13.4-inch touchscreen. —Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 12 Apr. 2023

That’s right, as if the movie weren’t weird enough already, come to find that Quinto’s character has an inoperable brain tumor — which goes a long way toward lowering his inhibitions and explains all three of the borderline-inept montages in this otherwise slick-looking movie. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English slyke; akin to Old English *slician

Verb

Middle English sliken, from Old English *slician; akin to Old High German slīhhan to glide

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

1825, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing slick

• oil slick
• slick back/down
• slick-ear

Kids Definition

slick

1 of 3 verb

ˈslik 

: to make sleek or smooth

slick

2 of 3 adjective

1

a

: having a smooth surface : slippery

a slick road

b

: having or showing skill and style but no depth

slick writing

2

a

: clever sense 3

especially : tricky sense 1

b

: quick and neat in action : skillful

slickly adverb

slickness noun

slick

3 of 3 noun

: something that is smooth or slippery

especially : a smooth patch of water covered with a film of oil