to stick
- verb
- /stɪk/
- Informal
- I see they stuck you with the old Gettysburg Address this year.
Examples
-
I feel like they're going to stick us with the extra costs for the event.
-
In the worst cases, clients might get stuck in a B&B with no support.
Academic text (2009) -
But they stuck me with the night shift.
-
Or I'm trying to stick you with the worst things.
-
His wife got stuck with the bills, and I got a big promotion.
-
- Why do you always stick me with the horseshit?!
-
"You stuck us with Hoover forever."
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Don't try to stick me with the responsibility for this project all by myself.
-
After the meeting, they stuck him with organizing the presentation at the last minute.
Synonyms
To give someone an unwanted heavy responsibility
To cause someone an unexpected loss of money by unfair charges
To make it difficult for someone or something to act
Antonyms
Idioms
To take a risk by saying or doing something that may get you in trouble
- Informal
To feel angry or bitter about something unfair that you cannot forget
Stay alert and ready to move, like resting a hockey stick on the ice
- Informal
Say or do something on purpose to hurt someone who is already in trouble
- Informal
Give full attention to your own work and skills, not other people's tasks
- Informal
Push away a lot of people or fans as a joke about being too popular
- Informal
To end up by chance with an unpleasant task or in a worse position
- Informal
A joking way to say something is very unpleasant or painful
- Offensive
To let strong, uncontrolled feelings make your life worse
- Informal
To suddenly understand something you should have noticed earlier
- Offensive
A shout people say when they are very surprised or do not believe something
To have sex or start a romantic relationship with someone who is emotionally unstable and likely to cause trouble
- Informal
To get involved in other people's business when they do not ask for help
Phrasal Verbs
- Informal
To check if food is cooked by poking it with a fork or to say something is finished
Compounds
A very simple drawing of a person using a circle for the head and lines for body, arms and legs
- Offensive
A person who prefers the usual way of doing things and does not accept new ideas
- Slang
A pretend object used to give someone a very clear hint about something they missed
- Specialized
A stick of dried plant leaves that people burn near the skin to give warmth in East Asian medicine
- Archaic
A short cane carried by army officers to show who is in charge or for ceremonies
- Specialized
A stick made from dried mugwort leaves that therapists burn near the skin for traditional heat therapy
How Burdensome
Surface Forms
Etymology
Stick meaning to unfairly give someone a bill or job is a later use like 'sticking' a thing onto someone so they must keep it. A helpful way to remember this is to imagine pushing an unwanted task or bill onto another person so they are left with it.