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viscous

viscous

11 6.1
Thick and sticky so it does not flow easily
  • adjective
  • /ˈvɪskəs/
translation icon : viscoso
  • The honey was so viscous that it dripped slowly from the spoon.
  • viscous fluid
  • viscous liquid
  • viscous flow

Having viscous blood is not going to help anything.

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Examples

  • At first, I thought it was stomach bile, but it's thicker, more viscous.

  • This one for a fruit cup looks a little more viscous in the syrup arena, quite sweet.

  • But look, it's much, much more viscous than water.

  • Having viscous blood is not going to help anything.

  • It's something which is very, very viscous, very high drag.

  • It's a bigger problem now because the fluid is viscous, right?

  • So what will happen is the glass is very viscous and sticky.

  • These are two simple models of materials that have viscous and elastic properties.

  • My own blood goes dark and viscous, thickens even as I'm cut.

    Academic text (1991)
  • By mixing the two components, a viscous, plastic, moldable cement is obtained.

    Academic text (1998)

Synonyms

sticky
vsviscous
126 1.0

Covered with a substance that keeps it on other things

is concerned with bulk thickness and slow flow rather than residue
slimy
vsviscous
42 2.5

Covered in a wet, slippery layer, like on fish or rocks

focuses on resistance to flow rather than slippery surface feeling
gooey
vsviscous
32 3.2

Soft and sticky like warm chocolate or cheese

is a general term for thick consistency without the foody tone
syrupy
vsviscous
3 3.5

Thick, sticky, and sweet, as in some sauces or drinks

is the general term for thick slow flow without sweetness or taste
goopy
vsviscous
2 5.6

Thick and sticky in a wet, unpleasant way

highlights the nonflowing thickness rather than its unpleasantness
glutinous
vsviscous
2 7.7

Sticky like glue that easily sticks to things

focuses on bulk thickness and poor flow rather than surface cling
gluey
vsviscous
1 3.2

Thick and sticky so things stick together

refers more to thickness and resistance to flow than adhesiveness
gloppy
vsviscous
  • Informal
1 5.5

Thick and sticky in a messy way

refers mainly to resistance to flow rather than messiness alone
pasty
vsviscous
1 7.3

Being soft and sticky, like thick glue

describes thicker body and poor flow rather than simple adhesiveness
sludgy
vsviscous
1 4.8

Thick, soft, and wet like mud that makes walking hard

highlights thick consistency generally rather than mudlike wetness specifically
viscid
vsviscous
1 9.9

Thick and sticky like glue or syrup

emphasizes overall thickness and slow flow rather than surface cling
gummy
vsviscous
1 3.7

Sticky and likely to cling to your hands

describes bulk thickness and slow flow rather than just tackiness
gooky
vsviscous
  • Informal
1 8.8

Sticky and messy with a soft unpleasant covering

focuses on overall density and slow movement rather than surface cover
mucilaginous
vsviscous
  • Specialized
9.9

Thick and sticky like wet glue

is the neutral term for thickness and slow movement rather than mucilage
ghili
vsviscous
9.9

Sticky and thick so it stays on hands or objects

means the same physical thickness but highlights poor flow more
stickly
vsviscous
8.4

Having a wet, glue like feel that makes things stay on it

is about internal thickness and reluctance to flow more than tack
sluggy
vsviscous
7.9

Thick, sticky, and slow to move like wet mud

is the broader descriptor for thickness without slimy surface focus
thicky
vsviscous
6.8

A thick, not runny texture in food like soup or sauce

adds that the main idea is resistance to flow rather than density alone

Antonyms

259 1.0

Flowing and not solid, like water when warm

34 1.0

More liquid than normal so it flows or drips easily

How Viscous

syrupy
3 3.5
gelatinous
9 5.9
viscous
11 6.1
thick
585 1.0
runny
34 1.0
watery
10 1.0

Surface Forms

viscous positive

Morphology

viscous = visc + ous

Formed from the non‑productive combining form 'visc-' plus the adjective suffix '-ous'; because 'visc' is not a standalone English word, learners cannot reliably infer the meaning from familiar base words.

Etymology

Viscous comes from the old Latin word viscosus, from viscum, which meant 'a sticky substance'. So viscous describes something thick and sticky that does not flow easily, like syrup that cools and becomes thick.