sticky
gb/stˈɪki/ us/stˈɪki/
A2
Kiingereza
~ 9300
Maana
maana 0
adjective
A2
property
1
tending to stick to things
Describes something that feels like glue and makes things stay on it or on each other.
Muundo wa matumizi:
[something] is sticky / sticky [noun]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes say *glue* as an adjective (e.g. *the paper is glue*) instead of using *sticky* to describe the feeling or surface. Also, *sticky* describes the quality of the surface or substance, while *stuck* describes the result (e.g. *The label is stuck to the box*).
Visawe
adhesive (More formal and technical; often used for products like glue or tape.)
|
tacky (Often implies slightly sticky, especially when not fully dry.)
Vinyume
slippery (Describes a surface that things slide on easily instead of sticking.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
sticky tape
|sticky fingers
|sticky floor
|sticky label
|sticky mess
|sticky surface
Mada
daily life
|food
|materials
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- Be careful, the paint on that wall is still sticky.
- The kids left sticky fingerprints all over the glass door.
- Use sticky tape to hold the paper together.
- My hands are sticky from peeling the mangoes.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- The table is sticky after the party.
- This candy is very sticky in my mouth.
- I use sticky tape to close the box.
- Her hair was sticky from the hair spray.
adjective
B1
property
2
hot and uncomfortably humid
Describes weather that is warm and wet in the air so that your skin feels wet and you may sweat a lot.
Muundo wa matumizi:
it is sticky [time/place] / sticky [day/night/weather]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may think *sticky* always refers to glue-like things and not realize it is also common for weather. They sometimes say *the weather is sweat* instead of *the weather is sticky* or *I am sweaty*.
Visawe
humid (More general and slightly more formal; does not always mean uncomfortable.)
|
muggy (Very close in meaning, commonly used in the same contexts as *sticky* for weather.)
Vinyume
dry (Describes air or weather with little moisture, the opposite of humid and sticky conditions.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
sticky night
|sticky summer
|hot and sticky
|warm and sticky
|sticky air
Mada
weather
|daily life
Mifano
- It was so sticky last night that I could hardly sleep.
- New York summers can be really hot and sticky.
- The air feels sticky today, even though it's not very sunny.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- The weather is hot and sticky today.
- I do not like sticky nights in the city.
- It feels sticky in this room; can we open a window?
- After the rain, the day was warm and sticky.
adjective
informal
B2
property
3
difficult or awkward to deal with
Describes a situation or problem that is hard to manage and may cause trouble or embarrassment.
Muundo wa matumizi:
a sticky [situation/problem/issue] / get into a sticky situation
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may wrongly think this use is about glue or texture. In *a sticky situation*, *sticky* is figurative and means *difficult* or *awkward*, not *covered in something like glue*.
Visawe
tricky (Very close in meaning, but can sound slightly less serious than *sticky* in some contexts.)
|
awkward (Emphasizes social discomfort more strongly than *sticky* sometimes does.)
Vinyume
straightforward (Describes a situation that is easy to understand or deal with, the opposite of *sticky* here.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
sticky situation
|sticky problem
|sticky issue
|a bit sticky
|get into a sticky situation
Mada
problems
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Mifano
- He found himself in a sticky situation after lying to his boss.
- That question about salaries was a bit sticky in the meeting.
- Negotiations became sticky when they started talking about money.
- The company is in a sticky position with both customers and regulators.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- I got into a sticky situation at work.
- The teacher asked a sticky question about my homework.
- This is a sticky problem; I do not know what to do.
- Their relationship became sticky after the argument.
adjective
technical
C1
property
4
remaining fixed or constantly active (computing)
In computers and websites, describes something that stays on the screen or stays active until you change it.
Muundo wa matumizi:
sticky [header/menu/post/setting/key]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the basic physical meaning and think *sticky header* refers to a header that looks like glue. In tech contexts, *sticky* usually means it stays in place on the screen.
Visawe
persistent (More technical and formal; often used in documentation instead of everyday UI descriptions.)
Vinyume
temporary (Describes something that appears or is active only for a short time instead of staying in place.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
sticky header
|sticky menu
|sticky post
|sticky keys
|sticky session
Mada
technology
|computing
Mifano
- The website uses a sticky header so the navigation bar stays visible as you scroll.
- You can pin an announcement as a sticky post at the top of the forum.
- On this form, sticky fields remember what the user typed last time.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- This page has a sticky menu at the top.
- The forum admin made the rules a sticky post.
- If you turn on sticky keys, you can press one key at a time.
- The site uses a sticky bar for the cookie message.
adjective
technical
C1
property
5
encouraging users to stay or return
In business and tech, describes something that makes people want to keep using it and not leave.
Muundo wa matumizi:
a sticky [product/app/website/service]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may misunderstand *sticky* here as physical stickiness. In business and tech, it is about how long and how often people use something, not about glue.
Visawe
engaging (Focuses more on interest and enjoyment, not just repeated use.)
|
addictive (Stronger and more negative; implies people feel they cannot stop using it.)
Vinyume
forgettable (Describes a product people quickly leave or do not return to, the opposite of *sticky* here.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
sticky app
|sticky product
|sticky website
|user stickiness
|make the product stickier
Mada
business
|technology
Mifano
- The new rewards program makes the app much stickier.
- Investors liked how sticky the platform was with younger users.
- We need to improve onboarding if we want a truly sticky product.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- This game is very sticky; I play it every day.
- A sticky website keeps users on the page longer.
- The company wants to make its service more sticky.
- Good content helps an app become sticky.
adjective
technical
C2
property
6
slow to change, especially in economics
In economics, describes prices or wages that do not change quickly, even when they should change.
Muundo wa matumizi:
sticky [prices/wages/rates]
Kosa la kawaida:
Learners may try to interpret *sticky prices* literally, as if money were physically sticky. In economics, *sticky* is only about how slowly something changes.
Visawe
inflexible (More general; used for many things that do not change easily, not only economic variables.)
Vinyume
flexible (Describes prices or wages that change easily in response to market conditions.)
Miunganiko ya maneno
sticky prices
|sticky wages
|sticky inflation
|downwardly sticky
Mada
economics
|business
|finance
Mifano
- Economists often talk about sticky wages during recessions.
- Sticky prices can slow down the adjustment of an economy after a shock.
- Rent is usually sticky downward, even when demand falls.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- Some prices are sticky and do not fall quickly.
- In many countries, wages are sticky and hard to cut.
- Sticky prices can make economic recovery slower.
- Economists study why some costs are sticky.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
sticky
IPA
GB/stˈɪki/
US/stˈɪki/
Silabi na mkazo
sticky (silabi 1)
Stress on 1st syllable (sticky)
Maumbo ya neno
Adjective
- Base: sticky
- Comparative: stickier
- Superlative: stickiest
Familia ya neno
Semi
sticky fingers
1/stˈɪki fˈɪŋɡɚz/
idiom
informal
habit of stealing small things
A habit of taking things that are not yours, especially small or easy-to-take things.
Mifano
- The shopkeeper suspected the boy had sticky fingers.
- Don't leave your wallet lying around; someone here has sticky fingers.
- They hired security cameras after too many employees turned out to have sticky fingers.
sticky note
1/stˈɪki nˈoʊt/
fixed phrase
small piece of adhesive note paper
A small colored piece of paper with a weak glue on one side that you can stick on things and remove easily.
Mifano
- She left a sticky note on the fridge to remind him about the appointment.
- I put sticky notes on my monitor with my to-do list.
- Please write your name on a sticky note and attach it to your folder.
sticky rice
1/stˈɪki ɹˈaɪs/
fixed phrase
type of rice that clumps together
A kind of rice that becomes soft and sticks together when cooked, often used in Asian dishes and desserts.
Mifano
- We ordered mango with sticky rice for dessert.
- Sticky rice is used in many traditional dishes in Southeast Asia.
sticky situation
1/stˈɪki sˌɪt͡ʃuˈeɪʃən/
idiom
informal
a difficult or awkward situation
A situation that is hard to deal with and may cause trouble or embarrassment.
Mifano
- Losing his passport put him in a very sticky situation.
- She got herself into a sticky situation by lying about her qualifications.
- The company is in a sticky situation with both its customers and the media.
sticky tape
1/stˈɪki tˈeɪp/
fixed phrase
narrow roll of adhesive tape
A long, thin piece of plastic or paper with glue on one side, used to join or fix things.
Mifano
- Use sticky tape to close the box.
- She hung the posters with sticky tape so they wouldn't damage the wall.
- We need more sticky tape to wrap these presents.
sticky wicket
1/stˈɪki wˈɪkɪt/
idiom
informal
a very difficult situation
A very difficult situation where it is hard to do well or make the right move.
Mifano
- The prime minister is on a sticky wicket over this tax issue.
- We knew we were on a sticky wicket when our main investor pulled out.