Translation guide
Describes something covered in a slippery, often unpleasant, wet substance. Can also refer to a person who is morally repulsive or insincere.
Describing a surface or substance that is wet, slippery, and often disgusting, like mucus or wet mud.
An onomatopoeic word describing a slimy, slippery texture, often with a negative connotation. Can be used as an adverb or a suru-verb.
The water in this pond is slimy.
My hands feel slimy.
Similar to ぬるぬる, but often implies a smoother, more viscous sliminess, like that of a slug or certain fish.
Slugs are slimy.
An adverb describing a sudden, brief slimy sensation or movement.
Something slimy touched my foot.
Describing a person who is untrustworthy, creepy, or disgustingly ingratiating.
Both describe sliminess, but ぬるぬる is more general and often used for unpleasant, watery slime (like pond scum). ぬめぬめ implies a thicker, more mucous-like texture (like okra or a slug).
Natto is slimy.
Okra is slimy.
Do not use physical slime words (ぬるぬる, ぬめぬめ) to describe a person's character. It will sound like you are saying they are literally covered in slime. Use words like いやらしい or 胡散臭い instead.
That politician is slimy.
This is a very direct and strong expression. Use with care.
He's a slimy guy.
Means suspicious, shady, or fishy. Implies the person cannot be trusted, similar to 'slimy' in a business or political context.
That salesman is slimy.