slicker; slickest
slickly
adverb
slickness
noun
1
a
: something that is smooth or slippery
especially
: a smooth patch of water covered with a film of oil
b
: a film of oil
2
: an automobile tire made without a tread for maximum traction (as in drag racing)
3
: an implement for producing a smooth or slick surface
4
: a shrewd untrustworthy person
5
: a popular magazine printed on coated stock and intended to appeal to sophisticated readers
6
slang
: a military helicopter without armaments that is used to transport troops or light cargo
dated, informal
: in a smooth or clever manner
"I must say they did it slick enough. They were old hands at the business."—
Jack London
Jack LondonSynonyms
Examples of slick in a Sentence
Adjective
Be careful as you drive home—the roads are slick.
big corporations and their slick lawyers
The new kid had some slick moves on the basketball court.
The students did a slick job of promoting the concert.
The video game has slick graphics.
Verb
The rain slicked the roads.
slicking the bottom of their skis with wax
Recent Examples on the WebEileen Finan, Peoplemag, 31 May 2024
Inundated with slick brand messaging and polished visuals that clearly went through rounds of agency approvals, Gen Z learned early on to erect strong filters to block out the deluge.
—Mitch Duckler, Fortune, 23 May 2024
Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 29 May 2024
Claw clips can also be worn with a messier look, but in general, the top is kept clean and slicked back.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 21 May 2024
New York Times, 16 May 2024
Streams suspend this silt in their waters and feed it into rivers; rivers flood, coating their shores in a slick of young soil.
—Krista Stevens, Longreads, 2 May 2024
Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 12 Apr. 2023
That’s right, as if the movie weren’t weird enough already, come to find that Quinto’s character has an inoperable brain tumor — which goes a long way toward lowering his inhibitions and explains all three of the borderline-inept montages in this otherwise slick-looking movie.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for slick 
Adjective
Water shoes can help protect from sea life and slick rocks.
—Eileen Finan, Peoplemag, 31 May 2024
Inundated with slick brand messaging and polished visuals that clearly went through rounds of agency approvals, Gen Z learned early on to erect strong filters to block out the deluge.
—Mitch Duckler, Fortune, 23 May 2024
Verb
When Megan wore the dress, her curly tresses were slicked back.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 29 May 2024
Claw clips can also be worn with a messier look, but in general, the top is kept clean and slicked back.
—Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 21 May 2024
Noun
In Chicago, during her tenure at the bakery Brite, the pastry chef Erika Chan, 32, doubled down on the ingredient, glazing doughnuts in a slick of hojicha-milk syrup and mixing the tea into its yeasted dough.
—New York Times, 16 May 2024
Streams suspend this silt in their waters and feed it into rivers; rivers flood, coating their shores in a slick of young soil.
—Krista Stevens, Longreads, 2 May 2024
Adverb
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo Inside, the Silverado ZR2 has a slick-looking dashboard that features a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel next to a massive 13.4-inch touchscreen.
—Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 12 Apr. 2023
That’s right, as if the movie weren’t weird enough already, come to find that Quinto’s character has an inoperable brain tumor — which goes a long way toward lowering his inhibitions and explains all three of the borderline-inept montages in this otherwise slick-looking movie.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for slick
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near slick
Cite this Entry
“Slick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slick. Accessed 5 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
slick
1 of 3 verb
: to make sleek or smooth
slick
2 of 3 adjective1
a
: having a smooth surface : slippery
a slick road
b
: having or showing skill and style but no depth
slick writing
2
a
: clever sense 3
especially
: tricky sense 1
b
: quick and neat in action : skillful
slickly
adverb
slickness
noun
slick
3 of 3 noun
: something that is smooth or slippery
especially
: a smooth patch of water covered with a film of oil
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