Slide — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈslīd/

Meaning & Definition of Slide

Slide (verb)

  1. to move smoothly along a surface, slip
  2. to coast over snow or ice
  3. to fall or dive feetfirst or headfirst when approaching a base

Slide (noun)

  1. an act or instance of sliding
  2. a musical grace of two or more small notes
  3. portamento

Slide (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to move about in a sly or secret manner

    "slid gently into his seat without anyone else in church noticing"

    similar: lurk, mooch, mouse, pussyfoot, shirk, skulk, slink, slip, snake, sneak, steal
    related: crawl, creep, edge, inch, worm, ghost, pad, tiptoe

  2. to move or proceed smoothly and readily

    "at this point the river slides along its banks with barely a ripple"

    similar: bowl, breeze, brush, coast, cruise, drift, flow, glide, roll, sail, skim, slip, stream, sweep, whisk
    related: fly, race, rush, speed
    opposite: flounder, struggle
    near: limp, lumber, plod, stumble, trudge, shamble, shuffle, stamp, stomp, stump, tramp, labor, toil

  3. to move slowly with the body close to the ground

    "the convict escaped by sliding through the prison's ductwork"

    similar: belly, crawl, creep, grovel, slither, snake, worm, wriggle
    related: crouch, squat, edge, inch, nose, skulk, sneak, steal, tiptoe

Slide (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a large mass especially of snow, ice, dirt, or rocks descending from a high place

    "The slide caused by the storm made the road impassable."

    similar: avalanche, snowslide, landslide, mudslide, burst, cataclysm, cataract, deluge, discharge, engulfment, washout, flood, flood tide, flush, gush, inundation, Niagara, outburst, outflow, outpouring, overflow, spate, surge, torrent, current, river, stream, tide, alluvion, bath, flux, inflow, influx, blizzard, cascade, waterfall
    opposite: dribble, drip, trickle

Related Entry: Slid (verb)

Slid is a different word from Slide. The synonyms below are for slid, not for slide.

  1. to move about in a sly or secret manner

    "slid gently into his seat without anyone else in church noticing"

    similar: lurked, mooched, moused, pussyfooted, shirked, skulked, slipped, slunk, snaked, sneaked, stole
    related: crawled, crept, edged, inched, wormed, ghosted, padded, tiptoed

  2. to move or proceed smoothly and readily

    "at this point the river slides along its banks with barely a ripple"

    similar: bowled, breezed, brushed, coasted, cruised, drifted, flowed, glided, rolled, sailed, skimmed, slipped, streamed, swept, whisked
    related: flew, raced, rushed, sped
    opposite: floundered, struggled
    near: limped, lumbered, plodded, stumbled, trudged, shambled, shuffled, stamped, stomped, stumped, tramped, labored, toiled

  3. to move slowly with the body close to the ground

    "the convict escaped by sliding through the prison's ductwork"

    similar: bellied, crawled, crept, groveled, slithered, snaked, wormed, wriggled
    related: crouched, squatted, edged, inched, nosed, skulked, sneaked, stole, tiptoed

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Slide

The most common words with a similar meaning to Slide:

lurk, mooch, mouse, pussyfoot, shirk, skulk, slink, slip, snake, sneak, steal, bowl, breeze, brush, coast, cruise, drift, flow, glide, roll, sail, skim, stream, sweep, whisk, belly, crawl, creep, grovel, slither, worm, wriggle, avalanche, snowslide, landslide, mudslide, burst, cataclysm, cataract, deluge

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Slide

Words with the opposite meaning of Slide:

flounder, struggle, dribble, drip, trickle

Related Words for Slide

edge, inch, ghost, pad, tiptoe, fly, race, rush, speed, crouch, squat, nose

Near Antonyms of Slide

limp, lumber, plod, stumble, trudge, shamble, shuffle, stamp, stomp, stump, tramp, labor, toil

Word Forms of Slide

Inflections: slid, sliding

Origin & Etymology of Slide

Middle English, from Old English slīdan; akin to Middle High German slīten to slide

First known use: before 12th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Slide

Words & Phrases Containing Slide

slide fastener, slide rule, slide valve, hair slide, let (something) slide, on the slide

Frequently Asked Questions about Slide

What does "Slide" mean?

"Slide" means to move smoothly along a surface, slip. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to move smoothly along a surface, slip. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Slide"?

Other words for "Slide" include lurk, mooch, mouse, pussyfoot, shirk, skulk, slink and slip. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Slide" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Slide"?

There are 79 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Slide". Common alternatives include lurk, mooch, mouse, pussyfoot, shirk, skulk, slink, slip, snake and sneak.

What is the opposite of "Slide"?

Antonyms of "Slide" include flounder, struggle, dribble, drip and trickle. Near antonyms include limp, lumber, plod and stumble.

How do you use "Slide" in a sentence?

Examples of "Slide" in a sentence: "slid gently into his seat without anyone else in church noticing"; "at this point the river slides along its banks with barely a ripple"; "the convict escaped by sliding through the prison's ductwork".

Is "Slide" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Slide" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Slide" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Slide" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Slide"?

"Slide" is pronounced /ˈslīd/.