slickness
slickness — adjective
- slicknesspositive
- more slicknesscomparative
- most slicknesssuperlative
1. able to operate or perform in a way that is smooth, quick, and seems to need no
able to operate or perform in a way that is smooth, quick, and seems to need no effort — like a well-designed machine or a rehearsed stage show.
The dancers put on a slick performance that the audience loved.
collocation: slick performance
Felipe's slick handling of the negotiation impressed everyone in the room.
collocation: slick handling
The new booking app has a slick interface that makes reserving flights very fast.
Mayumi admired the slick way the chef chopped vegetables without ever looking down.
Emre gave a slick presentation yesterday and won over all the investors.
2. using clever words or actions that sound impressive but are not honest or genuin
using clever words or actions that sound impressive but are not honest or genuine — often describing a salesperson, politician, or persuasive speech.
The salesman's slick promises turned out to be completely false.
collocation: slick promises / slick talker
Jin did not trust the candidate's slick answers during the live debate.
Tara warned her friend about the slick consultant who seemed too charming.
I find his slick style of flattery quite annoying after a while.
- smooth-talking
similar register, focuses on the speaker's verbal skill
- glib
describes speech that is too easy and fluent to be believable
- insincere
broader term; not limited to clever or persuasive contexts
用法筆記
Almost always carries disapproval. Commonly used to describe speech or persuasive behaviour that is clever on the surface but lacks honesty.
常見錯誤
3. having a smooth, wet surface that makes it easy to slip or difficult to hold fir
having a smooth, wet surface that makes it easy to slip or difficult to hold firmly.
The bathroom floor was slick with water after the shower.
pattern: slick with [liquid] — describes a surface made slippery by a substance
Harper almost fell on the slick pavement outside the supermarket.
The rocks near the waterfall were slick and dangerous to step on.
Adisa wiped the slick kitchen counter with a dry cloth to make it safe.
4. having a smooth, glossy surface that reflects light, often in an attractive or l
having a smooth, glossy surface that reflects light, often in an attractive or luxurious way.
The car had a slick coat of wax that shone brightly in the sunlight.
Sivan ran a hand over the slick surface of the newly polished table.
collocation: slick surface
The magazine featured photos of models with slick and glossy hair.
Valentina admired the slick finish on the wooden floor of her new apartment.
slickness — noun
- slicknesssingular
- slicknessesplural
1. a layer of oil that has spread across the surface of water, usually after an acc
a layer of oil that has spread across the surface of water, usually after an accident or a leak from a ship or underwater pipe.
The oil slick from the damaged ship spread across the bay within hours.
collocation: oil slick — a floating layer of oil
Clean-up crews worked all night to contain the slick before it reached the shore.
The aerial photos showed a dark slick stretching for several kilometres out to sea.
Fishermen watched helplessly as the slick moved towards their fishing grounds.
- oil spill
refers to the accident or the released oil itself, not specifically the layer on the surface
2. a magazine printed on high-quality shiny paper, usually about fashion, celebriti
a magazine printed on high-quality shiny paper, usually about fashion, celebrities, or lifestyle topics.
The actress appeared on the cover of several fashion slicks that month.
informal British usage — short for glossy magazine
Ezra flicked through a travel slick while waiting at the airport gate.
The coffee table was covered with design slicks and architecture catalogues.
Zola writes a regular column for one of the Sunday paper's weekend slicks.
- glossy
more common and used in both British and American English for shiny magazines
用法筆記
Primarily British English. Often used as a shortened form of 'glossy magazine'.
3. how smooth and slippery a surface is, making it hard to grip or to walk across w
how smooth and slippery a surface is, making it hard to grip or to walk across without losing your footing.
The slickness of the wet tiles made crossing the changing room quite dangerous.
Hari complained about the slickness of the new plastic handles on the tools.
The fisherman wore special boots designed to handle the slickness of the deck.
A layer of rubber was added to reduce the slickness of the metal staircase.
- slipperiness
more common for the physical sensation of losing traction
用法筆記
Describes a neutral physical property — the quality of being physically slick. Unlike most other senses of 'slickness', this one carries no positive or negative evaluation by itself.
4. a polished or skilful way of acting or speaking that feels dishonest because it
a polished or skilful way of acting or speaking that feels dishonest because it comes across as shallow and lacking real meaning.
There was a slickness to his sales pitch that made customers suspicious.
pattern: a slickness to [speech/behaviour]
The critic noted the slickness of the movie dialogue — polished but empty.
Beneath her professional charm lay an unsettling slickness that troubled her colleagues.
The slickness of the advertising campaign fooled many buyers into purchasing useless products.
- glibness
more specifically about fluent but insincere speech
- superficiality
focuses on the lack of depth rather than the cleverness
- smoothness
less negative; can just mean polished style
用法筆記
Almost always carries a negative judgment. Used to describe someone's style of communication, presentation, or behaviour that is skilful on the surface but shallow or dishonest underneath.
slickness — verb
- slicknesspresent simple I / you / we / they
- slicknesses3rd person singular
- slicknessing-ing form
- slicknessedpast simple
1. to brush or press hair flat against the head so it stays smooth, often using wat
to brush or press hair flat against the head so it stays smooth, often using water, gel, or oil.
Omar slicked his hair back with gel before the important job interview.
pattern: slick [hair] back/down with [product]
Diya slicked her wet hair away from her face and tied it in a ponytail.
The old photograph showed men with their hair slicked down neatly to one side.
Felipe slicked his hair flat with water after getting out of the swimming pool.
- ruffle
to make hair messy or uneven
文法句型
slick + hair + back/down
slick + hair + flat
slick + hair + with [product]
用法筆記
Often used with a directional adverb ('back', 'down') to show how the hair is arranged. The substance used (water, gel, pomade, oil) can be mentioned after 'with'.