What does "slide" mean?
An item of play equipment that children can climb up and then slide down again.
Slide
/slaɪd/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An item of play equipment that children can climb up and then slide down again.
- Grammar: slide is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: glide, microscope slide, advance, aerial photograph.
- Useful contrasts: block, detach, fixed.
- Usage evidence: Now, just let the clay slide between your fingers.
How to use "slide"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "slide" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "slide" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "slide" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "slide" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "slide" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "glide" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "slide", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An item of play equipment that children can climb up and then slide down again.
"The long, red slide was great fun for the kids."
- 2 the act of moving smoothly along a surface while remaining in contact with it wordnet
- 3 A surface of ice, snow, butter, etc. on which someone can slide for amusement or as a practical joke.
"skimming over the ice[…]It was a good long slide, and there was something in the motion which Mr. Pickwick, who was very cold with standing still, could not help envying."
- 4 sloping channel through which things can descend wordnet
- 5 The falling of large amounts of rubble, earth and stones down the slope of a hill or mountain; avalanche.
"The slide closed the highway."
Show 26 more definitions
- 6 a transparency mounted in a frame; viewed with a slide projector wordnet
- 7 An inclined plane on which heavy bodies slide by the force of gravity, especially one constructed on a mountainside for conveying logs by sliding them down.
- 8 a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study wordnet
- 9 A mechanism, or portion of one, consisting of a part which slides on or against a guide.
"On many semiautomatic pistols, the barrel is beneath the slide."
- 10 plaything consisting of a sloping chute down which children can slide wordnet
- 11 The act of sliding; smooth, even passage or progress.
"a slide on the ice"
- 12 (music) rapid sliding up or down the musical scale wordnet
- 13 A lever that can be moved in two directions.
- 14 (geology) the descent of a large mass of earth or rocks or snow etc. wordnet
- 15 Synonym of slider (“movable part of a zip fastener that opens or closes the row of teeth”).
- 16 A valve that works by sliding, such as in a trombone.
- 17 A transparent plate bearing an image to be projected to a screen.
"Please hire a vendor to put these boxfuls of slides under a scanner and convert them all to digital images."
- 18 A page of a computer presentation package such as PowerPoint. broadly
"I still need to prepare some slides for my presentation tomorrow."
- 19 A flat, usually rectangular piece of glass or similar material on which a prepared sample may be viewed through a microscope Generally referred to as a microscope slide.
- 20 The act of dropping down and skidding into a base
- 21 A hand-held device made of smooth, hard material, used in the practice of slide guitar.
- 22 A lively dance from County Kerry, in 12/8 time. Irish, traditional
- 23 A small dislocation in beds of rock along a line of fissure.
- 24 A grace consisting of two or more small notes moving by conjoint degrees, and leading to a principal note either above or below.
- 25 A sound which, by a gradual change in the position of the vocal organs, passes imperceptibly into another sound.
- 26 A clasp or brooch for a belt, etc.
- 27 Removable rank insignia worn on epaulettes of army uniform. Australia, informal
"The previous year, on November 30, 2023, Mr Brereton was pictured wearing what is known as "pollies" or polyester 'general duty dress', in which he is seen putting new rank slides on an officer's shoulder."
- 28 A pocket in one's pants (trousers).
"with ten dollars in his slide"
- 29 A sandal that is backless and open-toed.
- 30 A voluntary stutter used as a technique to control stuttering in one's speech.
- 31 A promiscuous woman, slut. slang, vulgar
Verb
- 1 To (cause to) move in continuous contact with a surface. ergative
"He slid the boat across the grass."
- 2 move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner wordnet
- 3 To move on a low-friction surface. intransitive
"The car slid on the ice."
- 4 to pass or move unobtrusively or smoothly wordnet
- 5 To drop down and skid into a base. intransitive
"Jones slid into second."
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 move smoothly along a surface wordnet
- 7 To lose one’s balance on a slippery surface. intransitive
"He slid while going around the corner."
- 8 To pass or put imperceptibly; to slip. transitive
"to alter the meaning of a question by sliding in a word"
- 9 To subtly direct a facial expression at (someone). transitive
"He slid me a dirty look."
- 10 To pass inadvertently. intransitive, obsolete
"Beware thou ſlide not by it, leſt thou fall before him that lieth in wait."
- 11 To pass along smoothly or unobservedly; to move gently onward without friction or hindrance. intransitive
"A ship or boat slides through the water."
- 12 To decrease in amount or value. intransitive
"The stock market slid yesterday after major stocks released weak quarterly results."
- 13 To smoothly pass from one note to another by bending the pitch upwards or downwards.
- 14 To ride down snowy hills upon a toboggan or similar object for recreation. regional
"Tom and his mates discussed some plan for a few minutes and then Tom sang out: "Who'll go sliding? There's a big bob-sled in the barn and we fixed it up yesterday morning.[…]""
- 15 To go; to move from one place or to another. intransitive, slang
""Gotta slide, this is my stop [on the train].""
- 16 To kick so that the ball slides along the ground with little or no turning.
"England captain Harry Kane missed a great chance to give them the lead shortly after the break but it did not prove costly as Raheem Sterling crowned a smooth move involving Declan Rice, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount to slide home his 16th goal in his past 24 international appearance after 55 minutes."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Now, just let the clay slide between your fingers."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "slide"?
Common synonyms include: glide, microscope slide, advance, aerial photograph, aerophone, alabaster.
How do you use "slide" in a sentence?
Now, just let the clay slide between your fingers.
How do you pronounce "slide"?
Pronounced /slaɪd/.
Etymology
From Middle English sliden, from Old English slīdan (“to slide”), from Proto-West Germanic *slīdan, from Proto-Germanic *slīdaną (“to slide, glide”), from Proto-Indo-European *sléydʰ-e-ti, from *sleydʰ- (“slippery”). Cognate with Old High German slītan (“to slide”) (whence German schlittern), Middle Low German slīden (“to slide”), Middle Dutch slīden (“to slide”) (whence Dutch slijderen, frequentative of now obsolete slijden), Vedic Sanskrit स्रेधति (srédhati, “to err, blunder”).