scivoloso

Scivoloso is an Italian adjective meaning slippery or slick. It describes surfaces that provide little friction, such as wet streets, ice, oil, or polished floors. The word derives from the verb scivolare, to slip or slide, with the suffix -oso indicating a characteristic.

In everyday language, forms like strada scivolosa or pavimento scivoloso are common in descriptions of conditions and in safety warnings. In safety communications and road signage, scivoloso is used to alert people to the risk of slipping. Figuratively, scivoloso can refer to a delicate or tricky situation, for example una questione scivolosa requiring careful handling. The term can also describe a person in some colloquial uses, typically implying evasiveness or unreliability, though this usage is less standard and context-dependent.

In technical or scientific contexts, scivoloso may describe a surface with low friction or a coating designed to reduce friction, and it is often contrasted with terms that denote higher friction or greater grip. The word can thus appear in discussions of materials science, engineering, and ergonomics, as well as in safety regulations and public notices.

Related linguistic notes: scivolare is the verb from which scivoloso is derived; sdrucciolevole is a less common synonym that may appear in some technical or formal registers. The term remains primarily a physical descriptor but carries occasional figurative use to convey complexity or ambiguity.