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slippery

adj.
US //ˈsɫɪpɝi// UK //slˈɪpəɹi// slip·pery
  1. 1 smooth or wet (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    difficult to hold or stand on because a surface is smooth, wet, or oily.

    having a low coefficient of friction, typically due to moisture, ice, or lubricants, making it difficult to maintain grip or footing.

    Example

    Be careful on the kitchen floor because it is still wet and very slippery.

    Example

    The mountain pass became treacherous as the light drizzle turned the limestone path into a dangerously slippery surface for the hikers.
  2. 2 untrustworthy (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    describing a person who is dishonest or hides the truth in a clever way.

    elusive or untrustworthy in character; often used to describe someone who avoids direct answers or commitments.

    Example

    Don't trust that salesman; he has a reputation for being a slippery character.

    Example

    The politician gave a slippery response to the journalist's question, successfully avoiding any firm commitment to the proposed tax reform.
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  1. 3 hard to define (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Academic

    describing an idea or word that is difficult to understand or define clearly.

    difficult to define, grasp, or pin down due to inherent ambiguity or shifting meanings.

    Example

    The concept of 'freedom' is quite slippery because it means different things to different people.

    Example

    Scholars have long struggled with the slippery nature of the term 'culture', which seems to expand or contract depending on the theoretical framework applied.
  2. 4 morally loose (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

    having weak morals or being easily persuaded to do wrong things.

    morally unstable or prone to error; in older contexts, it specifically referred to a lack of chastity.

    Example

    In the old play, the villain was described as having a slippery soul.

    Example

    The poet warns against the slippery nature of youth, where one's moral convictions may easily slide into vice without constant vigilance.
Origin

From Middle English slipperie, an extended form ( + -y) of Middle English slipper, sliper (“slippery”), from Old English slipor (“slippery”), from Proto-Germanic *slipraz (“smooth, slippery”), equivalent to slip + -er. Compare also Middle English slibbri, slubbri (“slippery”) borrowed from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German slibberich (“slippery”). Cognate with German schlüpfrig (“slippery”), Danish slibrig (“slippery”), Swedish slipprig (“slippery”).

Idioms1 entry

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