ungrippable
Impossible to hold
Something ungrippable cannot be gripped or held securely.
The word describes surfaces too smooth, wet, or oddly shaped to grasp: The wet railing was completely ungrippable.
It extends to abstract things that elude mental purchase: The concept remained ungrippable no matter how I approached it.
Lacking friction, hard-to-grasp
- smoothWithout roughness or difficulty
- slickSmooth or craftily adept
- wetSaturated with liquid
- oilyCovered in grease
greasy · polished · frictionless · slimy · soap · eel · ice · lubricated
Condensed version of text
- incomprehensibleImpossible to understand
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
- vagueUnclear, ill-defined
nebulous · amorphous · ungraspable · ineffable · intangible · slippery · evasive · mercurial
Hard to find
- intangibleNot physically present
- distantFar away or aloof
- unreachableCannot be accessed
- detachedApart or uninvolved
aloof · withdrawn · guarded · closed-off · impenetrable · unapproachable · inscrutable · remote
Having no grip portion
- awkwardLacking grace or ease
- unwieldyAwkward to manipulate
- cumbersomeAwkwardly heavy or bulky
- roundedHaving no sharp angles
featureless · knurling · ridgeless · grooveless · textured · rubberized · contoured
slippery
Lacking friction, hard-to-grasp
oily · greasy · polished · frictionless · slimy · soap · eel · ice · lubricated · glossy
abstract
Condensed version of text
- incomprehensibleImpossible to understand
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
vague · nebulous · amorphous · ungraspable · ineffable · intangible · slippery · evasive · mercurial · shifting
elusive
Hard to find
- intangibleNot physically present
- distantFar away or aloof
- unreachableCannot be accessed
detached · aloof · withdrawn · guarded · closed-off · impenetrable · unapproachable · inscrutable · remote · evasive
handleless
Having no grip portion
- awkwardLacking grace or ease
- unwieldyAwkward to manipulate
- cumbersomeAwkwardly heavy or bulky
rounded · featureless · knurling · ridgeless · grooveless · textured · rubberized · contoured