Sleekness
/ˈsliːk.nəs/noun
The quality of being smooth, glossy, or neatly controlled in appearance or manner.
Did you know?Sleekness comes from a family of Germanic words meaning “smooth” or “polished,” and its older senses could describe not just hair or surfaces, but a person’s smooth, ingratiating manner.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*slēkaz
“smooth, sleek, or glossy”
Old English
OE
slēac
“smooth, glossy, or sleek”
Middle English
ME
sleke
“smooth; glossy; also flattering or ingratiating”
14th–15th Century
English
slekeness
“the state of being sleek or smooth”
Modern English
English
sleekness
“the quality of being smooth, glossy, or neatly controlled in appearance or manner”