slippery
gb/slˈɪpɚi/ us/slˈɪpɚi/
A2
English
~ 8700
csúszós, simlis, megbízhatatlan, nehezen megfogható, képlékeny
A2
1
csúszós
A2
Usage pattern:
[something] is slippery
Be careful, the kitchen floor is really slippery after I mopped it.
Vigyázz, a konyhapadló nagyon csúszós lett a felmosás után.
The path down to the river was wet and slippery after the rain.
Az eső után a folyóhoz vezető ösvény vizes és csúszós volt.
Winter tires help you drive more safely on slippery roads.
He lost his balance on the slippery steps and grabbed the rail.
The fish was so slippery that it slid right out of my hands.
Learner examples
The bathroom floor is slippery when it is wet.
A fürdőszobapadló csúszós, ha vizes.
I fell on the slippery ice outside my house.
Elestem a házam előtt a csúszós jégen.
These shoes are not good for slippery roads.
The rocks near the water are very slippery.
Hold the glass tight; it is a little slippery.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'slippery' with 'slippy'. 'Slippy' is used in some dialects, but 'slippery' is the standard form in written and formal English. Learners may also forget to mention the cause: say 'The floor is slippery because it is wet', not just 'The floor is slippery' when explaining.
Meaning
smooth, easy to slide on
Collocations
slippery road
|slippery floor
|slippery surface
|slippery steps
|slippery ice
|slippery pavement
Synonyms
slick (Often used for very smooth or wet surfaces, especially roads or hair; slightly more informal.)
|
slimy (Emphasizes a wet, often unpleasantly sticky or gooey surface, like mud or algae.)
Antonyms
rough (A surface with a lot of friction, making it easy to stand on or hold.)
|
grippy (Informal; emphasizes that something provides good traction and does not slip.)
Themes
daily life
|safety
|weather
|daily_life
|health
Definition
Hard to stand on, walk on, or hold because it is very smooth or wet and things slide on it easily.
Difficult to walk on, stand on, or hold because the surface is smooth, wet, or covered with something that reduces friction.
B1
2
simlis
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a slippery [person/type]
He's a slippery character, so get everything in writing before you agree to anything.
Simlis alak, ezért mielőtt bármibe beleegyezel, kérj mindent írásban.
The company has a slippery reputation when it comes to paying its contractors on time.
A céget megbízhatatlannak tartják, amikor az alvállalkozók időben való kifizetéséről van szó.
Voters complained that the candidate seemed slippery and never gave a clear answer to tough questions.
Be careful with that landlord; people say he's pretty slippery about returning deposits.
She tried to pin him down on the dates, but he was too slippery to commit to anything.
Learner examples
I don't trust him; he seems very slippery.
Nem bízom benne; elég simlisnek tűnik.
The salesman was friendly but a bit slippery.
Az eladó barátságos volt, de egy kicsit simlisnek tűnt.
People say that lawyer is a slippery person.
The boss is slippery and never gives a clear yes or no.
Be careful; he is a slippery guy with money.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix this meaning with the physical one and say things like 'He is slippery because he drinks a lot of water.' For people, 'slippery' usually means dishonest or evasive, not physically wet or smooth.
Meaning
untrustworthy and hard to pin down
Collocations
slippery character
|slippery customer
|slippery politician
|slippery lawyer
|slippery type
Synonyms
shifty (Suggests someone looks dishonest or as if they are hiding something; informal and often negative.)
|
untrustworthy (More formal and direct; clearly states that the person cannot be trusted.)
Antonyms
trustworthy (Emphasizes that a person can be trusted to be honest and reliable.)
|
straightforward (Suggests someone is open and honest and does not try to hide things or avoid questions.)
Themes
personality
|trust
|relationships
|communication
Definition
About a person who is not very honest and is hard to catch, trust, or get a clear answer from.
Describes a person or organization that is dishonest or evasive and difficult to catch, trust, or make take responsibility.
B2
3
képlékeny
B2
Usage pattern:
[something abstract] is a slippery [idea/topic/issue]
The idea of freedom is a slippery concept that means different things to different people.
A szabadság eszméje nehezen megfogható fogalom, amely különböző embereknek mást jelent.
Truth can be a slippery thing when everyone has their own version of events.
Az igazság nehezen megfogható dolog lehet, amikor mindenkinek megvan a saját változata az eseményekről.
Legally, the definition of privacy is becoming increasingly slippery in the digital age.
It's a slippery issue, because any decision will upset someone.
Happiness is a slippery topic for scientists to measure and study.
Learner examples
The word 'culture' is a slippery concept.
A „kultúra” szó nehezen megfogható fogalom.
For many students, time management is a slippery idea to understand and use.
Sok diák számára az időbeosztás nehezen megfogható gondolat, amelyet nehéz megérteni és alkalmazni.
The meaning of the law is slippery in this case.
Success can be a slippery topic to talk about.
The truth is sometimes slippery and hard to see.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use 'slippery' with every difficult subject, but it is usually used when the idea is unclear or keeps changing, not just when it is hard. For a subject that is simply hard, 'difficult' or 'complex' is more natural.
Meaning
hard to define or control
Collocations
slippery concept
|slippery topic
|slippery term
|slippery issue
|slippery question
Synonyms
elusive (Emphasizes that something is hard to understand, define, or catch in your mind.)
|
vague (Focuses more on lack of clear detail or precision.)
Antonyms
clear-cut (Describes something that is very clearly defined and easy to understand or decide.)
|
straightforward (Emphasizes that something is simple, clear, and easy to deal with.)
Themes
knowledge
|thinking
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
About an idea, topic, or situation that is not clear and is hard to explain, define, or control.
Describes a subject, idea, or situation that is difficult to define, understand, or control because it is complex, unclear, or keeps changing.
Grammar
Dictionary form
slippery
IPA
GB/slˈɪpɚi/
US/slˈɪpɚi/
Syllables & stress
slip - pery (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (slip)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: slippery
Word family
Core family
slip
verb A2
Related words
slipper
noun
Negative and opposite forms
non-slip
adjective
Advanced or less common
slipperiness
noun
slippage
noun
Expressions
a slippery customer
1/ə slˈɪpɚi kˈʌstəmɚ/
idiom
informal
person hard to deal with or trust
A person who is difficult to deal with or trust, often because they avoid paying, answering, or taking responsibility.
Examples
- Watch him; he's a slippery customer when it comes to paying his bills.
- The police had been trying to catch this slippery customer for years.
- She's a slippery customer in negotiations and never gives more than she has to.
a slippery slope
1/ə slˈɪpɚi slˈoʊp/
idiom
process leading to worse and worse results
A situation where doing one thing will make other bad things more likely to happen, step by step, and it becomes hard to stop.
Examples
- Allowing one exception like this could be a slippery slope that leads to many more.
- Some people argue that censoring any books is a slippery slope toward limiting free speech.
- He warned that working late just once might be a slippery slope to always staying at the office.
slippery as an eel
1/slˈɪpɚi ˈæz ən ˈil/
idiom
informal
extremely hard to catch or hold
Very hard to catch, hold, or control, either physically or because the person avoids being caught or answering clearly.
Examples
- The suspect proved to be as slippery as an eel and kept changing his story.
- The little boy was slippery as an eel and ran away every time his mother tried to grab him.
- In debates, she can be slippery as an eel, never giving a straight answer.
slippery when wet
1/slˈɪpɚi wˈɛn wˈɛt/
fixed phrase
warning that wet surface is dangerous
Words on a sign that warn people that a floor or road becomes easy to slip on when it is wet.
Examples
- The sign said 'Slippery When Wet', so we walked very carefully through the hallway.
- Roads marked 'Slippery When Wet' can be especially dangerous during heavy rain.
- They put up a 'Slippery When Wet' sign next to the swimming pool.