📎 To attach 🎨 To apply thickly

to stick on

1 3.8

Put on a thick layer of something like paint or makeup

phrasal verb
/stɪk ɑn/

: aplicar (una capa de)

And I want to stick on some falsies and then it's time for the most time robbing job ever, which is sticking on all these diamonds.

Examples

I had to borrow my uncle's cheap-ass radio, and it's stuck on Tejano music.

Diana: The People's Princess (2017)
Hey, now, how do we know we just ain't guests of honor to a feast you're sticking on for your blood-sucking friends here?

Bogieville (2024)
- It's stuck on a channel marker.

Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
Hey, lame ass, Thanks to you, we're stuck on a stupid therapy boat.

The Story of William Tell (1953)
Now I'm going to go back over with my contouring stick on the other side and do exactly what we did on the other side.
Aren't those the dumbest things you ever seen somebody stick on their head?

The Straight Story (1999)
She had also stuck on some hearts and teddy bears.

Fiction book (1999)
So my talent when it comes to like applying these stick on tattoos is I always forget the foil.
So I'm just going to put a light layer to start with of mascara and then stick on the fake lashes and then I'll come back.
She decided to stick on a layer of lipstick before heading out for the evening.

Synonyms

to paint

vsto stick on

854 1.0

To put coloured liquid on a surface to protect or change how it looks

focuses on heavy or thick layer use, not only color application

to put on

vsto stick on

679 1.0

To dress yourself in clothes or wear things like makeup

refers specifically to heavy or thick application rather than general covering

to apply

vsto stick on

263 1.3

Put a substance onto a surface to cover it

implies a heavy or thick layer specifically rather than any coating

to plaster

vsto stick on

30 3.8

To cover a surface thickly or stick things all over it

is the general heavy layering action rather than the repair focus

to cake

vsto stick on

24 7.9

To become covered with a hard or thick layer

is the action of applying a heavy wet layer rather than the hardened result

to slather

vsto stick on

Informal

15 6.9

Spread a thick layer of a wet thing like sauce or sunscreen on a surface

is about applying a heavy or thick layer rather than light coverage

to slap on

vsto stick on

Informal

6 4.5

Put on paint or cream quickly and without care

is about careful or heavy layering rather than speed or carelessness

to daub

vsto stick on

3 8.1

To cover a surface roughly with a thick sticky substance

is the general act of heavy application without roughness implication

to plaster over

vsto stick on

1 4.5

To cover a surface with a layer of material or paint to hide damage

is about heavy application as a general action, not only repair use

to brush on

vsto stick on

1 3.8

To put a liquid or soft substance on a surface with a brush

is about heavy layering rather than the tool or technique used

to bedaub

vsto stick on

1 9.9

To cover something thickly with a sticky, messy substance

is similar but focuses on heavy application without messiness

to daube

vsto stick on

9.9

To smear something roughly with paint, plaster, or another soft wet material

is about heavy layering rather than just rough texture

to overcoat

vsto stick on

6.4

To cover something with an extra layer, often paint or varnish

means heavy application directly rather than just adding an extra layer

to sponge on

vsto stick on

6.2

To put liquid or paint on a surface using a sponge

refers to heavy thick application rather than a sponging technique

Antonyms

to peel

126 1.0

Remove the outer skin from a fruit or vegetable before eating

to strip off

NSFW

9 3.7

To remove clothes or a cover completely and quickly

How Thick

to slather

Informal

15 6.9

to stick on

1 3.8

to coat

105 2.8

to dab

11 2.8

Surface Forms

stick on infinitive

sticking on present participle

sticks on third person singular

stuck on past

stuck on past participle

Morphology

stick + on

The verb 'stick' (to affix) combined with the particle 'on' (onto a surface) yields a directly compositional meaning: to make something adhere or to apply something onto a surface. While the dictionary example emphasizes a thick/heavy layer, the core idea of applying/attaching onto is predictable from the constituents and is likely understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Stick on can also mean putting a thick layer of something so it stays, like slapping on lots of sunscreen or paint until you stick it on the skin or wall. That's why it means 'to apply a heavy layer'.