— stickily , adv. — stickiness , n.
/stik"ee/ , adj., stickier, stickiest .
1. having the property of adhering, as glue; adhesive.
2. covered with adhesive or viscid matter: sticky hands.
3. (of the weather or climate) hot and humid: It was an unbearably sticky day.
4. requiring careful treatment; awkwardly difficult: a rather sticky diplomatic problem; Breaking the news is going to be sticky.
5. Informal. unpleasant; unfortunate; nasty: The villain of the story meets a sticky end.
6. one of a number of small sheets of paper on a pad, each having an adhesive backing that allows it to be positioned and repositioned on smooth surfaces.
[ 1720-30; 1910-15 for def. 4; STICK 2 + -Y 1 ]
Syn. 3. muggy, sultry, damp, steamy.