slip
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To lose one's traction on a slippery surface.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
slipIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈslɪp
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
intransitive
To lose one's traction on a slippery surface; to slide due to a lack of friction.
intransitive
To accidentally reveal a secret or otherwise say something unintentionally.
Move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
Cause to move with a smooth or sliding motion
“He slipped the bolt into place.”
Move stealthily
“The ship slipped away in the darkness.”
Move easily
noun
An act or instance of slipping.
A woman's undergarment worn under a skirt or dress to conceal unwanted nudity that may otherwise be revealed by the skirt or dress itself; a shift.
A mistake or error.
A leash or string by which a dog is held; so called from its being made in such a manner as to slip, or become loose, by relaxation of the hand.
cricket
Any of several fielding positions to the off side of the wicket keeper, designed to catch the ball after being deflected from the bat; a fielder in that position.
A number between 0 and 1 that is the difference between the angular speed of a rotating magnetic field and the angular speed of its rotor, divided by the angular speed of the magnetic field.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Cause to move with a smooth or sliding motion
Used this way, slip is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“He slipped the bolt into place.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Moveverb
“The ship slipped away in the darkness.”
Causeverb
“He slipped the bolt into place.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Low footwear that can be slipped on and off easily.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A small sheet of paper.
An accidental and usually trivial mistake in speaking.
Take off with ease or speed.
An article of clothing (garment or shoe) that is easily slipped on or off.
Pass out of one's memory.
Connection consisting of a metal ring on a rotating part of a machine.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A knot at the end of a cord or rope that can slip along the cord or rope around which it is made.
Causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide.
A grape whose skin slips readily from the pulp.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: to lose one's traction on a slippery surface
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.