# sticky

/ˈstɪki/ (US) · /stˈɪki/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. adhesive

adjective · CEFR B1

covered in a substance like glue or honey that attaches to things you touch.

For teachers: tending to adhere to surfaces upon contact due to a viscous or glutinous coating.

- The toddler had sticky fingers after eating a large piece of cake.
- The label left a sticky residue on the glass jar that required hot soapy water to remove completely.

### 2. humid weather

adjective · CEFR B2

weather that is hot and damp, making you feel sweaty and uncomfortable.

For teachers: describing weather conditions characterized by high humidity and heat, causing skin to feel tacky from perspiration.

- It was a hot, sticky afternoon, and the air conditioning was broken.
- The tropical climate was particularly sticky in August, with humidity levels rarely dropping below eighty percent even after nightfall.

### 3. difficult or awkward

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

a situation that is tricky, embarrassing, or hard to deal with.

For teachers: characterised by difficulty, awkwardness, or potential for social or professional embarrassment.

- The manager found himself in a sticky situation when two employees started arguing.
- Negotiations reached a sticky patch when the two parties realized they had fundamentally different expectations regarding the budget.

### 4. internet content

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

a website or app that is so interesting that people stay on it for a long time.

For teachers: referring to digital content or platforms designed to retain visitor attention and encourage repeat engagement.

- The marketing team wants to make the blog more sticky to keep readers on the site.
- The developer implemented several social features to increase the app's stickiness and reduce the daily churn rate.

### 5. adhesive note

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a small piece of paper with a strip of glue on the back for leaving notes.

For teachers: a small square of paper with a re-adherable strip of adhesive on the reverse side.

- I left a yellow sticky on your computer screen to remind you about the meeting.
- The whiteboard was covered in colourful stickies representing different stages of the project's development.

### 6. to fix at the top

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to keep a message or post at the very top of a list so everyone sees it.

For teachers: to pin a digital thread or post to the top of a forum or feed to ensure maximum visibility.

- The moderator decided to sticky the rules so new members would read them first.
- After the announcement went viral, the administrator stickied the thread to prevent the same questions from being asked repeatedly.

## Examples

- My fingers are sticky from the orange juice.
- The developers added a daily reward system to make the mobile app more sticky for new users.
- Negotiations reached a sticky point when neither side could agree on the budget, requiring a neutral mediator to help the teams find common ground.

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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.