slimy

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈslaɪ.mi/ See IPA manual

Freq #12808

Meanings

1

adj
covered with or resembling slime

A slimy substance covered the rocks.
2

adj
Resembling, of the nature of, covered or daubed with, or abounding in slime

The frog's body was all slimy.
3

adj
Friendly in a false, calculating way; underhanded; two-faced; sneaky; slick; smarmy.

"I looked at this moon-faced, smooth skinned, slimy fraud, with his patronising smile.".
4

adj
morally reprehensible

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · covered with or resembling... slimed

2 adj · resembling, of the nature... glutinous viscous

3 adj · friendly in a false,... connivinglubricous

4 adj · morally reprehensible ugly

Word family

Derived forms slimilysliminessslithy

Appears in

Tongue twisters (1)

See all

Six Slick Saplings
Six slick slim slippery slimy sleek slender sickly saplings.

Keep /sl/ together through slick, slim, slippery, slimy, sleek and slender. The start changes to /s/ without /l/ in sickly and saplings.

Etymology

From Middle English slymy, slimi, either derived from the Old English noun slīm or an unattested *slīmiġ, replacing Old English slipiġ (“slippy, slimy”). Equivalent to slime + -y. Cognate with Dutch slijmig, slijmerig (“slimy”), German schleimig (“slimy; smarmy”), Swedish slemmig (“slimy”).

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

markdown