# slip on

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/slip-on
Updated: 2026-10-23

## Definition

to put on a piece of clothing quickly and easily.

For teachers: to don a garment with minimal effort or speed. Transitive and optionally separable, though the object often follows the particle when it is a short noun phrase.

## Examples

- I'll just slip on a sweater before we go out.
- He decided to slip on his shoes and run to the mailbox without tying the laces.
- As the temperature plummeted, she paused only to slip on a heavy woollen coat before stepping out into the biting wind.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I slipped on me my coat." but "I slipped on my coat." — the verb does not take a reflexive pronoun like 'me' or 'myself' when the subject is the one wearing the clothes.

## Usage notes

- usually used with light or easy-to-wear items like shoes, jackets, or sweaters.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'put on' (neutral) and 'get into' (implies effort); 'slip on' emphasizes the ease and speed of the action.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.