sleek
sleek — 形容詞
1. describes hair or fur that looks soft, bright, and pressed flat against the surf
光滑；柔順
毛髮或皮毛光滑柔順
describes hair or fur that looks soft, bright, and pressed flat against the surface, usually because it has been well brushed or washed.
Putri brushed her cat until its fur looked sleek and glossy.
Putri 梳了貓的毛，直到牠的毛變得又光滑又有光澤。
collocation: sleek fur / sleek hair
The groomer made the old dog's coat sleek with a special shampoo.
美容師用一種特殊的洗毛精，讓那隻老狗的毛變得光滑。
Dahlia's sleek hair, smoothed back with a little gel, shone under the bright stage lights.
Dahlia 抹了點髮膠往後梳的光滑秀髮，在明亮的舞台燈光下閃閃發亮。
After using the new conditioner, Jisoo's hair felt sleek and soft in the morning.
早上使用新的潤絲精之後，Jisoo 覺得自己的頭髮又滑又柔順。
用法筆記
Frequently used with nouns for body hair or fur (hair, coat, fur). Can also describe feathers on a bird.
常見錯誤
2. describes the look of a car, device, building, or piece of furniture that has a
流線型；簡潔
形狀流暢、沒有稜角
describes the look of a car, device, building, or piece of furniture that has a clean, flowing shape with no sharp edges or extra parts sticking out.
The new bullet train has a sleek design that cuts through the wind.
這輛新的高鐵列車採用流線型設計，能夠減少風阻。
collocation: sleek design
At the furniture showroom, Inês admired the sleek lines of the modern wooden table.
在家具展間裡，Inês 欣賞那張現代木桌流暢的線條。
Samir traded his old truck for a sleek black sports car.
Samir 把他的舊卡車換成了一輛流線型的黑色跑車。
The sleek laptop has a metal body that feels thin and light in your bag.
這台新筆電有著簡潔的金屬機身，放進包包裡感覺又薄又輕。
That sleek, modern glass building on the corner won an award for its streamlined shape.
轉角那棟現代感十足的流線型玻璃大樓，因其優美的外形而得獎。
- streamlined
stronger implication of aerodynamic or efficient design
- elegant
more general, can apply to any beautiful thing
- smooth
focuses on texture rather than shape
用法筆記
Often used in advertising and product reviews to suggest speed, efficiency, or modern luxury. Subject is typically a vehicle, electronic device, or architectural structure.
常見錯誤
3. describes a person who wears fashionable, high-quality clothes and gives an impr
奢華時尚
穿著昂貴有型的服飾
describes a person who wears fashionable, high-quality clothes and gives an impression of wealth, success, and careful grooming.
Ignacio arrived at the party looking sleek in his dark suit and polished shoes.
Ignacio 穿著深色西裝和擦亮的皮鞋抵達派對，看起來十分奢華時尚。
pattern: looking sleek in [clothing]
The sleek businessman wore a custom suit and designer watch stepping from a car.
那位體面商人穿著訂製西裝、戴著名牌手錶，優雅地下了車。
Rania looked sleek and confident as she received the award on stage.
Rania 在台上領獎時，看起來既時尚又自信。
Emily's sleek outfit and gold watch turned heads at the office dinner.
Emily 時尚的套裝和金錶在公司晚宴上吸引了大家的目光。
- well-groomed
focuses on neatness and care, less on fashion
- stylish
emphasises fashion sense rather than wealth
- dapper
used mostly for men, implies neat and elegant
用法筆記
Implies an overall impression of polish — clothes, posture, and grooming together. Can carry a faint negative tone of being too image-conscious, though usually neutral or positive.
常見錯誤
sleek — 動詞
1. to press or brush hair or fur so that it becomes shiny and lies flat against the
使光滑；梳平
使毛髮變得光滑平整
to press or brush hair or fur so that it becomes shiny and lies flat against the surface, often using water, gel, or oil.
Talia sleeked her hair back with a little gel for the concert.
Talia 抹了一點髮膠，把頭髮往後梳平去參加演唱會。
pattern: sleek + noun + back (direction particle)
Nila sleeked the dog's fur with a damp brush before the show.
Nila 用濕刷子把狗的毛梳平，準備上場比賽。
Matthew sleeked down the loose strands with a drop of water.
Matthew 沾了一滴水把翹起來的頭髮壓平。
The groomer sleeked the horse's mane until it shone like silk.
美容師把馬的鬃毛梳得光滑，像絲一樣閃亮。
文法句型
sleek + noun
sleek + noun + back/down
用法筆記
Much less common than the adjective. Most English speakers use 'slick back' instead for hair. In formal or literary writing, 'sleek' (verb) may be preferred for describing animal grooming.
2. to describe something bad or unpleasant in a way that deliberately makes it seem
粉飾；淡化
隱瞞或淡化負面問題
to describe something bad or unpleasant in a way that deliberately makes it seem less serious than it really is, usually by hiding the worst details.
The report sleeked over the company's safety problems during the factory tour.
那份報告在帶工廠參觀時，輕描淡寫地帶過了公司的安全問題。
pattern: sleek over + noun phrase (problems, issues, failures)
Politicians often sleek over bad economic news with promises of future growth.
政治人物經常用未來的成長承諾來粉飾糟糕的經濟消息。
The manager sleeked over the budget problems and changed the topic quickly.
經理輕描淡寫地帶過預算問題，然後很快轉移了話題。
The newspaper sleeked over the scandal by printing a short note on page ten.
那家報紙只在第十頁登了一則短訊，輕描淡寫地帶過這起醜聞。
- gloss over
far more common; the standard expression
- cover up
stronger implication of deliberate hiding
- whitewash
implies a dishonest attempt to make something look good
- expose
to reveal the truth openly
文法句型
sleek + over + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always used with the particle 'over' — 'sleek over' is the standard form. This sense is rare in everyday conversation; 'gloss over' is far more common. Learners should recognise it rather than actively use it.