slick back
B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
Push your hair back and make it lie flat and shiny with gel or oil.
Literal meaning: To slick (make slippery/smooth) something back — fairly transparent in context.
Meanings
1 B1 neutral
To comb or smooth hair backward from the forehead using a greasy or wet substance to hold it in place.
"He slicked his hair back with pomade before stepping onto the dance floor."
"He had his hair slicked back, very Wall Street."
— Common descriptive phrase widely used in American journalism and film reviews; attributed to stylistic descriptions of the Wall Street (1987) film aesthetic
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Almost exclusively used about hair. The resulting hairstyle is often associated with a classic, retro, or gangster look. Commonly heard in grooming, fashion, and film contexts. Can be done with water, pomade, gel, or grease.
Commonly used with
hair pomade gel grease look style
Forms
Base
slick back
I/you/we/they
3rd person
slicks back
he/she/it
Past simple
slicked back
yesterday
Past participle
slicked back
have + pp
-ing form
slicking back
continuous
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