slither

verb

slith·​er ˈsli-t͟hər 

slithered; slithering; slithers

intransitive verb

1

: to slide on or as if on a loose gravelly surface

2

: to slip or slide like a snake

transitive verb

: to cause to slide

Synonyms

• belly
• crawl
• creep
• grovel
• slide
• snake
• worm
• wriggle

Examples of slither in a Sentence

The snake slithered through the garden.

To get under the porch, I lay on my stomach and slithered like a snake.

She slithered quietly into the room.

He slithered his hand around her waist.

Recent Examples on the Web

The video ends with the reptile slithering into the snake catcher's bag. —Danielle Jennings, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024

Around the spring and fall equinoxes, there is a distinctive light-and-shadow effect that creates the illusion of a serpent slithering down the staircase. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 12 June 2024

Sure, there are loads of giant snakes slithering through the forests and grasslands of Puerto Rico right now, not far from homes and rare species. —Benji Jones, Vox, 21 May 2024

Meanwhile, the slithering skinny teen put up 46 goals and 110 points as a WHA rookie. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English slideren, from Old English slidrian, frequentative of slīdan to slide

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

slither

verb

slith·​er ˈslit͟h-ər 

1

: to slide or cause to slide on or as if on a loose gravelly surface

2

: to slip or slide like a snake