# sticky

Pronunciation: say "STIK-ee" /ˈstɪki/

## Adjective

1. Tending to stick to surfaces, especially because a viscous substance dries and bonds to them.
   - Simple: Able to stick to other things, like glue or syrup.
   - _The melted candy made the whole table sticky._
   - _Pine sap is so sticky that it clings to everything it touches._
2. Of weather: hot, windless, and humid, so that people feel damp and uncomfortable from sweating.
   - Simple: Hot, damp, and still, so the air makes you feel sweaty and uncomfortable.
   - _The sticky afternoon air left the crowd restless and irritable._
   - _August in the city is unbearably sticky._
3. Difficult or awkward to deal with.
   - Simple: Hard to deal with because the situation is tricky or awkward.
   - _Negotiations reached a sticky point over who would cover the costs._
   - _He found himself in a sticky situation with two competing deadlines._
4. Mawkishly sentimental; emotionally sweet to an excessive degree.
   - Simple: Too soft and full of feelings in a way that seems silly.
   - _The film's sticky finale drew groans from the cynical audience._
   - _Her sticky tribute speech left some listeners squirming._
5. Tending to stay the same and slow to respond to changing conditions.
   - Simple: Slow to change, staying at the same level even when things around it change.
   - _Rents in the region proved sticky, holding firm despite falling demand._
   - _Inflation expectations can be sticky once they take hold._
6. Compelling enough to keep visitors or users from leaving a site, app, or page.
   - Simple: Interesting enough to make people stay instead of leaving.
   - _Designers added forums and rewards to make the platform stickier._
   - _The app's sticky features kept users engaged well past the first session._
7. Fixed at the top of a list of threads or topics so that it stays in view.
   - Simple: Kept fixed at the top of a list so it stays easy to see.
   - _The moderators kept the announcement sticky throughout the tournament._
   - _A sticky thread at the top reminds users of the forum guidelines._
11. Tending to persist or remain rather than fading, changing, or being removed easily. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Staying around and hard to get rid of.
   - _Economists worry about sticky prices that refuse to fall during a downturn._
   - _The setting is sticky, so it keeps your choice even after a restart._
12. Of a window or element: appearing on every virtual desktop rather than only the one where it was opened.
   - Simple: Showing up on every virtual desktop instead of just one.
   - _Power users keep their notes app sticky so it shows on all four desktops._
   - _The taskbar widget is sticky and remains visible no matter which workspace you switch to._
13. Resembling a stick, or having the qualities typical of a stick. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Looking like a stick, or having the qualities of one.
   - _His growth spurt left him gangly and sticky, his arms and legs as long and thin as broom handles._
   - _He sketched a sticky cartoon man out of straight lines._
14. Of a death or fate, unpleasant and grisly, often violent or undignified.
   - Simple: Used about a death or end that is very nasty and often violent.
   - _The novel's worst character meets a suitably sticky end in the final chapter._
   - _Pirates who crossed the captain usually came to a sticky finish._

## Noun

8. A small self-adhesive note, such as a Post-it, that can be stuck to a surface.
   - Simple: A small piece of paper that sticks to things, used for short notes.
   - _He covered his monitor in stickies reminding him of deadlines._
   - _Grab a sticky and jot down the phone number._
9. A discussion thread fixed at the top of a forum's list of topics so that it stays in view.
   - Simple: A forum post that stays fixed at the top of the list.
   - _New users should read the sticky before posting in the main board._
   - _The admins pinned a sticky explaining the new rules._
15. Marijuana, especially potent, resin-covered buds that feel sticky to the touch. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Strong marijuana, especially buds covered in sticky resin.
   - _She rolled the sticky into a fat joint and lit it._
   - _The dealer claimed his sticky came from a private grow._
16. A sweet dessert wine, typically served in small glasses at the end of a meal. *(colloquial, Australia)*
   - Simple: A sweet wine that people drink with dessert.
   - _They finished the evening with a rich sticky and a plate of cheese._
   - _A good sticky pairs beautifully with an almond tart._
17. A small adhesive particle, such as a fragment of glue or tape, found as a contaminant in wastepaper.
   - Simple: A small bit of glue or adhesive left in recycled paper.
   - _Each sticky must be filtered out before the pulp becomes new paper._
   - _A stray sticky jammed the machine and halted the line._

## Verb

10. To fix a forum thread at the top of a topic list so that it stays visible above other posts.
   - Simple: To pin a forum post at the top of a list so people keep seeing it.
   - _Admins usually sticky the welcome thread when a new board launches._
   - _He stickied the FAQ to keep beginners from asking the same questions._

## Noun

18. Wax. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: An old slang word for wax, the soft material that candles are made of.
   - _The cobbler drew his thread through a lump of sticky before stitching the sole._
   - _She warmed the sticky between her fingers to soften it for the seal._

## Origin

Formed from "stick" combined with the suffix "-y".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/sticky (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).