German edit

Etymology edit

From Old High German slīhhan, from Proto-Germanic *slīkaną. Compare English slink.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈʃlaɪ̯çən/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: schlei‧chen

Verb edit

schleichen (class 1 strong, third-person singular present schleicht, past tense schlich, past participle geschlichen, auxiliary sein)

  1. (intransitive) to move in a quiet and inconspicuous manner, hence often slowly and/or ducked: to crawl, to sneak, to steal, to prowl, to creep, to slither (of a snake)
  2. (reflexive, with some adverb of location) to go somewhere in the above manner
  3. (informal, intransitive) to move slowly (especially in a car)
    Was schleicht der da so?Why’s that guy driving so slowly?
  4. (informal, reflexive) to slink away; to leave meekly or sheepishly
  5. (Austria, Bavaria, Southern Germany, reflexive, colloquial or vulgar, dismissal) to piss off
    Schleich dich!Piss off!

Conjugation edit

Hyponyms edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit