# slippery

/ˈsɫɪpɝi/ (US) · /slˈɪpəɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/slippery
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. smooth or wet

adjective · CEFR B1

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

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

- Be careful on the kitchen floor because it is still wet and very slippery.
- The mountain pass became treacherous as the light drizzle turned the limestone path into a dangerously slippery surface for the hikers.

### 2. untrustworthy

adjective · CEFR B2

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

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

- Don't trust that salesman; he has a reputation for being a slippery character.
- The politician gave a slippery response to the journalist's question, successfully avoiding any firm commitment to the proposed tax reform.

### 3. hard to define

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic

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

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

- The concept of 'freedom' is quite slippery because it means different things to different people.
- Scholars have long struggled with the slippery nature of the term 'culture', which seems to expand or contract depending on the theoretical framework applied.

### 4. morally loose

adjective · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

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

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

- In the old play, the villain was described as having a slippery soul.
- The poet warns against the slippery nature of youth, where one's moral convictions may easily slide into vice without constant vigilance.

## Examples

- Be careful because the floor is slippery.
- The mountain path became dangerously slippery after the heavy rain, forcing the hikers to slow down.
- While the physical road was slippery due to the ice, the politician's slippery answers during the interview proved even more difficult for the journalists to navigate.

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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.