/ ˈslɪpəri; NAmE / adjective
1.
(also informal slippy ) difficult to hold or to stand or move on, because it is smooth, wet or polished :
slippery like a fish
In places the path can be wet and slippery.
His hand was slippery with sweat.
2.
( informal ) ( of a person ) that you cannot trust :
Don't believe what he says—he's a slippery customer.
3.
( informal ) ( of a situation, subject, problem, etc. ) difficult to deal with and that you have to think about carefully :
Freedom is a slippery concept (= because its meaning changes according to your point of view) .
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IDIOMS
- the / a slippery slope
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WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent.: from dialect slipper slippery , probably suggested by Luther's schlipfferig .