Skip to main content
sleekly

sleekly

1 5.1
In a smooth, shiny, graceful way
  • adverb
  • /sliːkli/
translation icon : elegantemente
  • Passengers on these sleekly designed vehicles are silently and smoothly whisked via an air suspension system over water and land, and through the magnificent Contemporary Resort Hotel for a breathtaking inspection of its muraled lobby.
  • sleekly handsome
  • sleekly modern
  • sleekly dressed

It's a trashy religion with bullshit, sleekly packaged bullshit that tries to make people find a loophole to be a bad person.

Examples

  • Therefore the event is a lot more sleekly produced, you have a lot more star power.

  • Beside him was a young woman with a short, stylish haircut that shrieked "in"; she was dressed sleekly in a black leather jumpsuit and a heavy gold metallic belt.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I thought I had seen the sleekly tapered rear of something decidedly foreign.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • A high-tech, sleekly designed television monitor rises up... clicks on.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • He was sleekly muscled, with no sign of flab anywhere.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Her skirt, pouffed at the waist, tapers sleekly to mid-calf.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • She found the tall, sleekly elegant building within three, and despite a case of nerves, stepped gratefully into the warm, dry lobby.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Myra and Hebbing enter an office decorated with sleekly understated opulence; the view through large windows is of apparently prosperous skyscrapers.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Sleekly groomed, tall and graceful in a tailored suit whose modest style still manages to let the world know it cost more than my monthly take-home pay, Ms. Thayer is a paragon.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The car's design is sleekly elegant, with smooth lines and a glossy finish.

Synonyms

gracefully
vssleekly
56 2.8

In a smooth and beautiful way that looks controlled

is about smooth streamlined form rather than primarily movement or ease
elegantly
vssleekly
22 3.9

In a graceful and stylish way

leans toward smooth streamlined shape and visual shine rather than mere polish
stylishly
vssleekly
4 3.5

In a fashionable and elegant way

emphasizes smooth streamlined shape and shine more than fashion
silkily
vssleekly
1 4.1

In a smooth, soft way like silk

focuses more on streamlined shiny form rather than soft texture
classily
vssleekly
1 5.0

In a stylish and elegant way

highlights glossy streamlined modern form rather than social status
glossily
vssleekly
5.0

In a smooth, shiny way that looks bright

is smooth but stresses streamlined refined shape rather than only shine

Antonyms

36 1.4

In a hard, violent way that shows no care

12 2.8

In an awkward way that shows little skill or control

How Smooth

sleekly
1 5.1
gracefully
56 2.8
smoothly
173 2.3
evenly
98 1.3
clumsily
12 2.8

Surface Forms

sleekly positive

Morphology

sleekly = sleek (transparent) = sleek + ly

The adverb is a regular derivation from the adjective 'sleek' using the productive suffix '-ly', so the meaning is directly predictable.

Etymology

Sleekly comes from sleek, an old word that meant 'smooth and shiny'. Imagine stroking an animal's fur or polishing a car until it lies flat and shines — doing something sleekly is doing it in a smooth, polished, and elegant way.