English Dictionary

SLICK

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

IPA (US): 

 Dictionary entry overview: What does slick mean? 

SLICK (noun)
  The noun SLICK has 4 senses:

1. a slippery smoothnessplay

2. a magazine printed on good quality paperplay

3. a film of oil or garbage floating on top of waterplay

4. a trowel used to make a surface slickplay

  Familiarity information: SLICK used as a noun is uncommon.


SLICK (adjective)
  The adjective SLICK has 5 senses:

1. made slick by e.g. ice or greaseplay

2. superficially impressive, but lacking depth and attention to the true complexities of a subjectplay

3. having only superficial plausibilityplay

4. having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting lightplay

5. marked by skill in deceptionplay

  Familiarity information: SLICK used as an adjective is common.


SLICK (verb)
  The verb SLICK has 2 senses:

1. make slick or smoothplay

2. give a smooth and glossy appearanceplay

  Familiarity information: SLICK used as a verb is rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


SLICK (noun)


Sense 1

Meaning:

A slippery smoothness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

slick; slickness; slip; slipperiness

Context example:

he could feel the slickness of the tiller

Hypernyms ("slick" is a kind of...):

smoothness (a texture without roughness; smooth to the touch)

Derivation:

slick (give a smooth and glossy appearance)

slick (make slick or smooth)


Sense 2

Meaning:

A magazine printed on good quality paper

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

glossy; slick; slick magazine

Hypernyms ("slick" is a kind of...):

mag; magazine (a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it)


Sense 3

Meaning:

A film of oil or garbage floating on top of water

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("slick" is a kind of...):

film (a thin coating or layer)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "slick"):

oil slick (a thin film of oil floating on top of water (especially crude oil spilled from a ship))


Sense 4

Meaning:

A trowel used to make a surface slick

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("slick" is a kind of...):

trowel (a small hand tool with a handle and flat metal blade; used for scooping or spreading plaster or similar materials)


SLICK (adjective)

 Declension: comparative and superlative 
Comparative: slicker  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Superlative: slickest  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation


Sense 1

Meaning:

Made slick by e.g. ice or grease

Context example:

roads are slickest when rain has just started and hasn't had time to wash away the oil

Similar:

slippery; slippy (causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide)

Derivation:

slickness (a slippery smoothness)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Superficially impressive, but lacking depth and attention to the true complexities of a subject

Synonyms:

facile; neat; slick

Context example:

a slick advertising campaign

Similar:

superficial (concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually)


Sense 3

Meaning:

Having only superficial plausibility

Synonyms:

glib; pat; slick

Context example:

a slick commercial

Similar:

plausible (apparently reasonable and credible, and therefore convincing)

Derivation:

slickness (a kind of fluent easy superficiality)


Sense 4

Meaning:

Having a smooth, gleaming surface reflecting light

Synonyms:

satiny; silken; silklike; silky; sleek; slick

Context example:

slick seals and otters

Similar:

bright (emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts)

Derivation:

slickness (a slippery smoothness)


Sense 5

Meaning:

Marked by skill in deception

Synonyms:

crafty; cunning; dodgy; foxy; guileful; knavish; slick; sly; tricksy; tricky; wily

Context example:

a wily old attorney

Similar:

artful (marked by skill in achieving a desired end especially with cunning or craft)

Derivation:

slickness (a kind of fluent easy superficiality)

slickness (verbal misrepresentation intended to take advantage of you in some way)


SLICK (verb)


Sense 1

Meaning:

Make slick or smooth

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

sleek; slick

Hypernyms (to "slick" is one way to...):

polish; shine; smooth; smoothen (make (a surface) shine)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

slick (a slippery smoothness)


Sense 2

Meaning:

Give a smooth and glossy appearance

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

sleek down; slick; slick down

Context example:

slick one's hair

Hypernyms (to "slick" is one way to...):

comb; comb out; disentangle (smoothen and neaten with or as with a comb)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They slick their hair

Derivation:

slick (a slippery smoothness)


 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow ." (English proverb)

"The truth prevails like oil over water." (Albanian proverb)

"Don't delay today's work until tomorrow." (Arabic proverb)

"Learned young is done old." (Dutch proverb)



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