English

Adjective

sticky ‎(comparative stickier, superlative stickiest)

1. Able or likely to stick.

   Is this tape sticky enough to stay on that surface?

2. Potentially difficult to escape from.

   This is a sticky situation. We could be in this for weeks if we're not careful.

   • 2014, Michael White, "Roll up, roll up! The Amazing Salmond will show a Scotland you won't believe", The Guardian, 8 September 2014:

     Salmond studied medieval Scottish history as well as economics at university so he cannot say he has not had fair warning – it was even more turbulent and bloody than England at that time – and plenty of Scotland's kings and leaders came to a sticky end.

3. Of weather, hot and windless and with high humidity, so that people feel sticky from sweating.
   • 2008, Robert K. Fitts, Wally Yonamine: The Man Who Changed Japanese Baseball

     The baby was due in December and the hot, sticky August weather was making Jane uncomfortable.

4. (computing, informal, of a setting) Persistent.

   We should make the printing direction sticky so the user doesn't have to keep setting it.

5. (computing, of a window) Appearing on all virtual desktops.
6. (Internet, of threads on a bulletin board) Fixed at the top of the list of topics or threads so as to keep it in view.
7. (Internet, of a website) Compelling enough to keep visitors from leaving.

   A woman has come to me with the complaint that her website is not sticky: 70% of the visits last 30 seconds or less.

Translations

Derived terms

• stickily
• stickiness
• sticky-backed plastic
• sticky bit
• sticky fingers
• sticky note
• sticky tape
• sticky wicket

See also

• tacky

Noun

sticky ‎(plural stickies)

1. A sticky note, such as a post-it note.

   Her desk is covered with yellow stickies.

2. (manufacturing) A small adhesive particle found in wastepaper.
3. (Australia, colloquial) A sweet dessert wine.

Translations

Verb

sticky ‎(third-person singular simple present stickies, present participle stickying, simple past and past participle stickied)

1. (Internet, bulletin boards, transitive) to fix a thread at the top of the list of topics or threads so as to keep it in view.

Translations