slimy

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈslaɪ.mi/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪmi

Adjective

slimy (comparative slimier, superlative slimiest)

1. Of or pertaining to slime
2. resembling, of the nature of, covered or daubed with, or abounding in slime

   Synonyms: viscous, glutinous

   The frog's body was all slimy.

   • 1798, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere:

     Slimy things did crawl with legs
     Upon the slimy sea.

3. (slang, figuratively) Friendly in a false, calculating way; underhanded; two-faced; sneaky; slick; smarmy.
   • 1994, Jim Ranie, Jargodin: The Moonlighter, Brisbane: Jim Ranie, page 83:

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

Synonyms

• (slippery) lubricous
• (underhanded) conniving

Derived terms

• northern slimy salamander
• slimily
• sliminess
• slithy

 

Translations

like slime; glutinous

• Bulgarian: слизест (slizest)
• Dutch: slijmerig (nl)
• French: visqueux (fr) m, visqueuse (fr) f, gluant (fr) m, gluante (fr) f
• German: schleimig (de)
• Italian: viscido (it)
• Latin: lūbricus, vīrōsus
• Maori: pūrikoriko, hahohaho, hāwaniwani, hāwareware
• Middle English: slymy, slimi
• Norman: lîncreux, vâseux, v'lînmeux
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: slimet, slimete

• Serbo-Croatian: ljigav (sh), sluzav (sh)
• Slovak: slizký m
• Spanish: viscoso (es), baboso (es), pegajoso (es), gelatinoso (es), empalagoso (es)
• Swedish: slemmig (sv)

underhanded

• Bulgarian: мазен (bg) (mazen), подмазвачески (podmazvačeski)
• Dutch: achterbaks (nl)
• German: schmierig (de), aalglatt (de), schleimig (de)
• Maori: tītipa, kakī mohokura
• Russian: скользкий (ru) (skolʹzkij) (figuratively)
• Serbo-Croatian: podao (sh)
• Spanish: tramposo (es)

Noun

slimy (plural slimies)

1. A ponyfish.

Anagrams

• ILYSM, misly, smily