Meaning & use
anti-slip
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a noun
Made to prevent slipping or sliding on a surface.
Grammar: Goes before a noun: anti-slip tape. It is not used after a linking verb, so say 'a surface with an anti-slip coating', not 'the surface is anti-slip' in formal writing.
Patterns
- anti-slip surface
- anti-slip tape
- anti-slip shoes
- anti-slip coating
Put anti-slip tape on the stairs before winter comes.
The bathroom floor has an anti-slip surface, which is safer for children.
Kitchen workers are required to wear anti-slip shoes.
Common combinations
- anti-slip surface
- The deck has an anti-slip surface so it stays safe when wet.
- anti-slip tape
- He stuck anti-slip tape along the edge of the ramp.
- anti-slip shoes
- Chefs usually wear anti-slip shoes in the kitchen.
- anti-slip coating
- The pool area was given a new anti-slip coating.
Synonyms and how they differ
- non-slip
- Non-slip means the same thing and is the more common choice in American English; anti-slip is common in product labels and British usage.
- grippy
- Grippy is informal and describes something that grips well, like a new tire; anti-slip is the neutral, technical-sounding choice.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: anti-slip or non-slip?
anti-slip vs non-slip
These mean the same, but non-slip is far more common in American English; choosing anti-slip is fine but may sound more like a product label.
Practice
The restaurant put ______ mats behind the bar to stop staff from falling.
Choose one answer.
Anti-slip is the adjective that describes mats designed to prevent slipping. Slippery means the opposite, and slip is a verb or noun, so it cannot describe the mats.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “anti-slip”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.