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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Sleek: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：glossy and smooth (sleek)

sleek 🔊

/sliːk/

adj.

smooth, shiny, and often attractive in appearance, like well-groomed hair or a polished surface.

Sleek definition illustrated by a black cat with smooth, glossy fur in sunlight.

glossy and smooth 🔊

➕

/ˈɡlɒsi ənd smuːð/

adj.

Describes a surface, especially of hair, fur, or material, that is exceptionally smooth, shiny, and well-groomed, giving an attractive appearance.

📁 Category：Fashion Trends 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Middle English 'slike', related to German 'schleichen' (to creep or glide smoothly).

💡 Mnemonic

SLick and shEEk: both are smooth and chic.

📖 Example

After applying the conditioner, her hair became sleek and shiny, reflecting the sunlight perfectly. 🔊 After applying the conditioner, her hair became glossy and smooth, reflecting the sunlight perfectly.

🔗 Collocations

sleek hair – hair that is smooth, shiny, and well-styled.

sleek surface – a perfectly smooth and reflective exterior.

sleek look – a stylish and polished appearance.

🔄 Synonyms

glossy (adj.) – having a smooth, shiny surface.

shiny (adj.) – reflecting light brightly; gleaming.

polished (adj.) – made smooth and glossy by rubbing or processing.

🚫 Antonyms

coarse (adj.) – rough or loose in texture or grain.

dull (adj.) – lacking shine or brightness; not glossy.

rough (adj.) – having an uneven or irregular surface.

🌱 Derivatives

sleekly (adv.) – in a smooth, glossy, or streamlined manner.

sleekness (n.) – the quality of being sleek.

📖 Cultural Story

'Sleek' originally meant 'crafty, sleeky' in the 16th century, describing a smooth, sly manner. It evolved to describe the smooth, glossy appearance of animals like otters gliding through water, eventually applying to polished objects and streamlined designs, as in modern car advertisements.

Meaning 2：aerodynamically smooth (sleek)

sleek 🔊

/sliːk/

adj.

having a smooth, elegant shape that allows something to move easily through air or water, like a modern car or airplane.

aerodynamically smooth 🔊

➕

/ˌeərədaɪˈnæmɪkli smuːð/

adj.

Describes an object, typically a vehicle or product, with a smooth, elegant, and streamlined shape designed to reduce resistance as it moves.

📁 Category：Transportation & Travel 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The new electric car has a sleek design that helps it cut through the air with minimal resistance. 🔊 The new electric car has an aerodynamically smooth design that helps it cut through the air with minimal resistance.

🔗 Collocations

sleek design – a modern, streamlined, and elegant appearance.

sleek lines – smooth, flowing contours of an object.

sleek silhouette – the elegant, smooth outline of a shape.

🔄 Synonyms

streamlined (adj.) – designed to offer the least resistance to motion through air or water.

aerodynamic (adj.) – relating to shapes that reduce drag from air movement.

svelte (adj.) – slender and elegant in figure or design (often for people or objects).

🚫 Antonyms

bulky (adj.) – taking up much space; large and unwieldy.

clunky (adj.) – heavy, solid, and awkward in shape or movement.

boxy (adj.) – having a square, angular shape like a box.