Skip to main content
sleek

sleek

12 3.5
Smooth and shiny like silk or polished wood
  • adjective
  • /sliːk/
: sedoso
  • I think it's given me quite a nice, sleek and shiny little bouffant blowout.
  • sleek hair
  • sleek black hair
  • sleek and shiny

They're made out of this really sleek, almost matte rubber.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Her hair looked sleek and shiny after using the special conditioner.

  • Makes your hair just look nice and sleek and fabulous.

  • OK, let's give this hair the very sleek, straight look.

  • The packaging is so sleek, it's magnetic.

  • OK, so that's a pretty sleek design, right?

  • The design is very sleek and the place is sparkling clean.

  • The doors close and the sleek train glides smoothly out of the station.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Hundreds of ships, some small, some incredibly large, were docked along its sleek, shining hull.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The foal was sleek and healthy and appeared wise to the ways of the paddock.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • This is the sleek blush in the shade suede.

Synonyms

shiny
vssleek
304 1.0

Bright and smooth because it reflects light

adds the idea of soft, silky texture alongside simple brightness
elegant
vssleek
163 3.3

Having an attractive, stylish look that shows good taste

refers specifically to surface texture and silk-like smooth shine
silky
vssleek
39 1.0

Smooth and soft to touch like fine cloth

places equal weight on smooth shine as well as softness
slick
vssleek
38 3.9

Smooth and slippery in a way that makes walking dangerous

highlights soft, silk-like texture and lustre rather than slipperiness
glossy
vssleek
31 2.6

Having a smooth shiny surface that reflects light like paper or hair

also implies softness and silk-like texture, not only reflectiveness
silken
vssleek
10 4.3

Very smooth, soft, and a little shiny like fine cloth

adds a stronger emphasis on overall lustrous smoothness beyond fabric feel
satiny
vssleek
3 4.1

Smooth and soft with a shiny surface like silk

focuses on silk-like softness together with smooth lustrous appearance
smooth-textured
vssleek
1 3.7

Having an even, soft surface with no bumps when you touch it

adds visible shine and silk-like softness to plain smoothness
silklike
vssleek
1 3.7

Having a smooth, soft, and shiny feel like fine cloth

is the broader idea of smooth, shiny texture beyond mere resemblance
sheeny
vssleek
1 6.7

Having a smooth, shiny surface that reflects light

covers both shine and silk-like smoothness rather than mere gloss
sleekit
vssleek
  • UK
1 9.9

Having a smooth, shiny surface like polished metal or well brushed fur

centres mainly on surface smoothness and lustrous texture not grooming

Antonyms

144 1.0

Not smooth and often harsh in sound

19 3.5

Not shiny and showing little reflection

Compounds

3 3.5

A smooth, shiny, stylish appearance for hair or clothes

1 3.4

A smooth, close-fitting outfit that looks elegant and modern

How Smooth

glossy
31 2.6
polished
75 2.1
sleek
12 3.5
smooth
224 1.0
rough
144 1.0
coarse
29 3.7

Surface Forms

sleek positive
sleeker comparative
sleekest superlative

Etymology

Sleek comes from old words meaning 'to smooth' or 'to stroke' and is like slick, so a sleek surface is one that has been smoothed to be shiny and soft.