Word
sleek
US/ˈsɫik/
UK/slˈiːk/
Definition
adj. smooth, shiny, and looking expensive or well-made. You use this to describe things like fast cars, modern phones, or healthy hair.
adj. having a smooth, glossy surface and a streamlined shape that suggests speed or elegance. Often used to describe industrial design, fashion, or physical appearance.
Examples
“The new sports car has a sleek, modern design.”
“The company's latest smartphone features a sleek glass body and a very thin profile.”
“Architects designed the skyscraper with a sleek, aerodynamic exterior to minimize wind resistance while maintaining a striking presence on the city skyline.”
Examples
simple
“The new sports car has a sleek, modern design.”
contextual
“The company's latest smartphone features a sleek glass body and a very thin profile.”
complex
“Architects designed the skyscraper with a sleek, aerodynamic exterior to minimize wind resistance while maintaining a striking presence on the city skyline.”
Usage
Commonly used both attributively before a noun and predicatively after linking verbs like 'look' or 'feel'.
Real-World Examples
“Candle’s new Hi-Fi line offers sleek, slightly larger, amber-colored bottles and complex fragrance notes.” “Nine years on, I meet MacAskill outside Trajan House in Oxford, a sleek, glass-walled building that several EA organizations share with Oxford University.” Etymology
A late variant of slick; cognate to German schleichen (Old High German slihhan) and Dutch slijk (“mud, slime”). Compare slink.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/sleek