Language: Old English
Origin: slidan


1 verb
slide1 W3 past tense and past participle slid
1 [intransitive and transitive] to move smoothly over a surface while continuing to touch it, or to make something move in this way
slide along/across/down etc
Francesca slid across the ice.
slide something across/along etc
He opened the oven door and slid the pan of cookies in.
He slid open the door of the glass cabinet.
2 [intransitive,transitive always + adverb/preposition] to move somewhere quietly and smoothly, or to move something in this way
slide into/out of etc
Daniel slid out of the room when no one was looking.
She slid into the driver's seat.
slide something into/out of etc something
He slid the gun into his pocket.
3 [intransitive] if prices, amounts, rates etc slide, they become lower [= drop; ≠ rise]:
Stocks slid a further 3% on the major markets today.
4 [intransitive] to gradually become worse, or to begin to have a problem:
Students' test scores started to slide in the mid-1990s.
slide into
Murphy gradually slid into a pattern of drug abuse.

let something slide

a) to let a situation get gradually worse:
Management has let safety standards slide at the factory.
b) spoken to ignore a mistake, problem, remark etc, without trying to improve or stop it:
Well, I guess we can let it slide this time.

slide, slip, skid
Slide means to move smoothly across a surface. You can talk about people, objects, or liquids sliding This floor's great for sliding on. The door slid open (NOT slided open). A tear slid down her cheek.Slip means to accidentally slide a small distance, and usually then fall down She slipped and hurt her wrist. It's icy - mind you don't slip.Skid means to move across a smooth surface in an uncontrolled way. You usually use it to talk about vehicles Cars skidded on the snow. Jason skidded around the corner on his bike.

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