sticky

adjective

ˈsti-kē How to pronounce sticky (audio)
Definition of stickynext
1
as in adhesive
tending to adhere to objects upon contact both sides of the tape are sticky, making it a little tricky to work with

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2
as in humid
containing or characterized by an uncomfortable amount of moisture a warm sticky day when all we wanted to do was sit somewhere with air-conditioning

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3
as in difficult
requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling an especially sticky conversation about money matters

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4
as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way sticky love scenes that will bore cynics to death

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sticky There are few things more frustrating than waking in the middle of the night feeling hot, sticky and uncomfortable. — New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2026 Painted Walls Walls get dirty easily, from fingerprints from children’s sticky hands to scuff marks from furniture. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 24 Aug. 2026 Soap residue that’s left behind can create a sticky surface that attracts dust, dirt, and airborne oils, leading to some pretty grimy and hard-to-remove surfaces. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2026 Holding onto sticky toys and storing them until next year only makes things worse, according to Piper. — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sticky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticky
  1. adhesive
  2. humid
  3. difficult
  4. sentimental
  5. damp
  6. tough
  7. sloppy
  8. sensitive
Adjective
  • This adhesive base allows the material to stick directly onto host surfaces.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Convincing urban commuters to trust their safety to an adhesive joint requires more than just theories though.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of adhesive
Adjective
  • Fry and Drew did make important contributions, working out passive techniques for setting hot and humid air in motion.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The most likely scenario is warm and humid conditions with light showers and a low chance of monsoonal thunderstorms over the mountains and deserts.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of humid
Adjective
  • The losses linked to the demise of these groups are difficult to quantify, but participants and advocates say the impacts will reverberate across federal agencies for years.
    — Katia Riddle, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Ground surveys can provide more detailed information at a particular site, but covering an entire subway corridor that way would be difficult.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • Zendaya’s mom rang in the actress’s 30th birthday with a sentimental Instagram post.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Caregiving is hard work Caregiving for an aging parent is not sentimental.
    — Jim King, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of sentimental
Adjective
  • For the microwave, place the ears on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap.
    — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Ashcroft keeps the pace steady and the atmosphere churning, while Deming conjures a more generic but perfectly effective air of menace in damp shades of brown and teal.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of damp
Adjective
  • Space-grade electronics will cost more, and the ball’s shell—made from a material tough enough to roll over steel shards and withstand minus 184 °C temperatures—has never been evaluated in lunar extremes.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Democratic leaders face tough decisions on where to spend limited party resources to win the Senate majority.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • But a 17-point win masked how off-kilter and sloppy the offense looked against the overmatched Huskies.
    — John Talty, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Vaughn Grissom drove in four runs, rookie Walbert Ureña pitched seven strong innings and the Los Angeles Angels ended a seven-game losing streak with a 10-1 victory over the sloppy New York Yankees on Monday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • Government debt makes up more than 200% of its gross domestic product, leaving its finances highly sensitive to rising borrowing costs.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In addition to pressure, the team demonstrated that the same basic glass platform could also be made sensitive to temperature.
    — Pawel Maniewski, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of sensitive

Phrases Containing sticky

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stickups
sticky
sticky wicket
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Cite this Entry

“Sticky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sticky. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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