to slick down
1
5.8
- phrasal verb
- /slɪk daʊn/
:
alisar
- He slicked down his hair with gel before the big presentation.
- slicked down hair
- slicked down and parted
Examples
-
He had silver hair slicked down close to his head and gold-rimmed glasses on his nose.
Fiction book (1998) -
So I'm just going to go with that one again and just slick it over and slick it down, slick it down, stick it down.
-
No matter how many times I get it wet and slick it down.
Blog text (8) -
I'm going to go back over again and fluff them up and I'm just going to slick them down with my finger.
-
Today it was slicked down with water, and I could still smell the warm citrus of his aftershave.
Fiction book (1996) -
He was sweating, and his hair was slicked down against his head.
Fiction book (1993) -
Commander Bryn Hack slicked down his white hair as he walked into the Officer's Lounge.
Fiction book (1992) -
He was a small, wrinkled ancient dressed in a plain black suit, and his black hair lay slicked down against his skull.
Fiction book (1990) -
Pee Wee, 31, wears a grey-and-black double-breasted western suit and slicked-down hair.
Fiction book (1990) -
So she dressed you and your brother in identical Little Boy Blue short-pant suits with straps that came over the shoulder, and she washed your faces, necks, and ears and slicked your hair down with water.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
54
1.1
To make a surface even by rubbing or pressing
46
1.1
To make something smooth and shiny by rubbing it
33
4.2
To cover a surface with a smooth shiny liquid that dries hard, for example on food or pottery
18
5.0
To make something smooth and shiny by rubbing or adding oil
17
4.4
To polish something by rubbing until it is smooth or shiny
11
7.1
To make a surface smooth and shiny by rubbing
1
4.0
To make a surface smooth and shiny by rubbing or polishing
1
3.8
To make something less rough by pressing it flat or by calming people
1
4.3
To make something smooth and shiny by brushing or pressing
1
9.2
To make something shiny by rubbing
To make hair smooth and shiny by pressing it or using a little gel
To make something smooth and shiny by rubbing or polishing
To make a surface flat and even by rubbing or polishing
Make a person look neat and more attractive by dressing and grooming them carefully
How Smooth
1
5.8
1
3.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'slick' already means to make a surface smooth or shiny, and the particle 'down' adds a clear directional/completive sense (smooth or flatten downward). This composition follows a common English verb + particle pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer 'slick down' = smooth or press something flat (e.g., hair).
Etymology
The verb slick down comes from the simple image of using a shiny gel or your hand to push hair or a surface flat, with slick meaning to make smooth and down meaning to lie flat. So slick down means 'to make smooth and shiny by using a product or by stroking it flat'.