slickback

Sleek combed look

Slickback refers to a hairstyle where hair is combed or brushed straight back from the forehead and held in place with pomade, gel, or oil, creating a smooth, shiny appearance: He wore his hair in a slickback like a 1920s gangster.

The style suggests polished sophistication or old-school cool.

As a verb, to slickback is to style hair this way.

retro

greaser

Machinery lubricator or fifties tough

rockabillyHillbilly-influenced early rock
pomadeWaxy styling grease
fiftiesDecade or age range

diner · jukebox · sockhop · vinyl · rebel · cool · ducktail · sideburns · vintage · classic

hairstyle

pomade

Waxy styling grease

gelWobbly semi-solid substance
combToothed grooming implement
shineEmit or reflect light

barbershop · parting · styling · coiffure · taper · fade · barber · neat · sleek · sheen

suave

debonair

Sophisticated and carefree

sophisticatedWorldly and cultured
polishedSmooth, refined, accomplished
smoothWithout roughness or difficulty

dapper · elegant · sleek · refined · stylish · groomed · sharp · classy · gentleman · cosmopolitan

Opposites

hair texture and styling

slickbacktousled

Disordered, especially hair

messy hair · bedhead · wild hair · afro · mussed

grooming aesthetic

slickbackunkempt

Untidy in appearance

disheveled · scruffy · undone · natural · ungroomed

Family

slick, back, slicked, slicker, slickest, slickly, slickness, backed, backing

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G