adjective
sticky
STIH-kee
adjective
1
Coated with a substance that clings to things it touches; tending to stick.
"His hands were sticky from the melted candy."
"The table was left sticky after the party."
2
Difficult or awkward to deal with.
"We got into a sticky situation with the contract wording."
3
Hot and humid, causing sweaty discomfort.
"It was a sticky August afternoon."
noun
1
A small note with an adhesive strip, used for quick reminders; a Post-it note.
"She left a sticky on his monitor with the meeting time."
How to Use Sticky
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTending to adhere or cling, awkward/tricky, or uncomfortably humid, depending on context.
Common pairings
sticky situation
sticky note
sticky weather
sticky fingers
Word Forms
stickier comparative, stickied past tense, stickies plural, Stickies plural, stickies singular, stickiest superlative
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Etymology
From stick plus the adjective-forming suffix -y.