Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
slipperiness

slipperiness

1 4.3
How smooth a surface is that makes people or things slip
  • noun
  • /ˈslɪpərɪnəs/
translation icon : resbaladizo
  • The slipperiness of the wet floor made it difficult to walk safely.

Examples

  • I really didn't think that the slipperiness would come into play this much, but it is.

  • The slipperiness of other solids is another matter.

    Academic text (2005)

  • She wiped one hand and then the other against her uniform, trying to remove the dangerous slipperiness.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • NIOSH and Liberty Mutual scientists used slip meters to examine the slipperiness of floor surfaces at study sites that were of concern to hospital safety staff.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Careful when you step outside; the slipperiness of the ice could cause you to fall.

  • The slipperiness of the mud after the rain made it hard for the hikers to maintain their footing.

Synonyms

slickness
vsslipperiness
1 4.8

A smooth, slippery feeling on a surface that makes it hard to hold

describes how likely a surface is to cause someone to fall or lose balance

Antonyms

stability
363 3.1

Being steady and not likely to change

roughness
4 3.4

The way a surface feels when it is not smooth

How Slippery

slipperiness
1 4.3
friction
151 3.5
grip
  • Specialized
30 3.5

Surface Forms

slipperiness singular
slipperinesses plural

Morphology

slipperiness = slippery (transparent) = slippery + ness

The noun 'slipperiness' is transparently derived from the adjective 'slippery' by adding the suffix '-ness', indicating the state or quality of being slippery.

Etymology

The word slipperiness comes from the simple verb slip, which means 'to slide by accident', plus the ending -ness that turns a word into a 'state' or 'quality'. So slipperiness is the 'quality' of being likely to make you slip, like a wet floor or smooth ice.