sticky
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.covered in a substance like glue or honey that attaches to things you touch.
adj.tending to adhere to surfaces upon contact due to a viscous or glutinous coating.
Simple“The toddler had sticky fingers after eating a large piece of cake.”
In context“The label left a sticky residue on the glass jar that required hot soapy water to remove completely.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.weather that is hot and damp, making you feel sweaty and uncomfortable.
adj.describing weather conditions characterized by high humidity and heat, causing skin to feel tacky from perspiration.
Simple“It was a hot, sticky afternoon, and the air conditioning was broken.”
In context“The tropical climate was particularly sticky in August, with humidity levels rarely dropping below eighty percent even after nightfall.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.a situation that is tricky, embarrassing, or hard to deal with.
adj.characterised by difficulty, awkwardness, or potential for social or professional embarrassment.
Simple“The manager found himself in a sticky situation when two employees started arguing.”
In context“Negotiations reached a sticky patch when the two parties realized they had fundamentally different expectations regarding the budget.”
Antonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
adj.a website or app that is so interesting that people stay on it for a long time.
adj.referring to digital content or platforms designed to retain visitor attention and encourage repeat engagement.
Simple“The marketing team wants to make the blog more sticky to keep readers on the site.”
In context“The developer implemented several social features to increase the app's stickiness and reduce the daily churn rate.”
Synonyms - 05 B1 Intermediate
n.a small piece of paper with a strip of glue on the back for leaving notes.
n.a small square of paper with a re-adherable strip of adhesive on the reverse side.
Simple“I left a yellow sticky on your computer screen to remind you about the meeting.”
In context“The whiteboard was covered in colourful stickies representing different stages of the project's development.”
Synonymspost itsticky note - 06 C1 Advanced
v.to keep a message or post at the very top of a list so everyone sees it.
v.to pin a digital thread or post to the top of a forum or feed to ensure maximum visibility.
Simple“The moderator decided to sticky the rules so new members would read them first.”
In context“After the announcement went viral, the administrator stickied the thread to prevent the same questions from being asked repeatedly.”
From stick + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.