sticky

1 of 2

adjective

ˈsti-kē How to pronounce sticky (audio)
stickier; stickiest
Synonyms of stickynext
1
a
: adhesive
a sticky material
b(1)
: viscous, gluey
sticky syrup
(2)
: coated with a sticky substance
sticky little fingers
… it must have been just repainted, it looked so bright and sticky …—Lewis Carroll
2
: humid, muggy
also : clammy
3
: tending to stick
4
a
: disagreeable, unpleasant
came to a sticky end
b
: awkward, stiff
c
: difficult, problematic
a sticky situation
5
: excessively sentimental : cloying
stickily
ˈsti-kə-lē How to pronounce sticky (audio)
adverb
stickiness
ˈsti-kē-nəs How to pronounce sticky (audio)
noun

stickiness

2 of 2

noun

stick·​i·​ness ˈstikēnə̇s How to pronounce stickiness (audio)
-kin-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being sticky

Synonyms of sticky

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of sticky in a Sentence

Adjective The sap is very sticky. There is a sticky substance on the table. The paint was still sticky. The weather was hot and sticky.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Summer in the city has become sticky and unbearable. — Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2026 Oh, and don’t forget the eponymous Blondie bar that’s sticky with caramel and topped with a thick layer of vanilla cream. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026 The tackiness, the sticky folding chairs, the ugly basketball arena aesthetic. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 The Charlotte region will start feeling like a frying pan come Wednesday, and forecasters expect the sticky misery to linger into next week. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sticky

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sticky was in 1688

Phrases Containing sticky

Rhymes for sticky

See All Rhymes for sticky

Browse Nearby Words

stickwort
sticky
stickybeak
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sticky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sticky. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sticky

adjective
ˈstik-ē How to pronounce sticky (audio)
stickier; stickiest
1
a
: adhesive entry 1, gluey
sticky syrup
b
: coated with a sticky substance
the tabletop was sticky
2
: muggy, humid
a hot sticky day
3
: tending to stick
sticky windows
stickily
ˈstik-ə-lē How to pronounce sticky (audio)
adverb
stickiness
ˈstik-ē-nəs How to pronounce sticky (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sticky

Nglish: Translation of sticky for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All