deslizarse
verbCEFR B2
What does “deslizarse” mean in English?
to slip, to slide
to slip, to slide (deslizarse — literal movement or figurative drift toward a worse state)
Example sentences
Los costes energéticos se han ido deslizando hacia niveles insostenibles sin que nadie lo advirtiera a tiempo.
Energy costs have been slipping towards unsustainable levels without anyone noticing in time.
La lancha se deslizaba silenciosamente sobre el agua en la oscuridad de la noche.
The boat glided silently over the water in the darkness of the night.
Deslizó un comentario irónico entre sus argumentos que nadie pareció detectar.
He slipped an ironic comment between his arguments that nobody seemed to pick up on.
How to use it
Deslizarse means 'to slip', 'to slide', or 'to glide'. Literal: deslizarse por el hielo (slide on ice). Figurative at B2: los costes se han ido deslizando (costs have been slipping); deslizarse hacia una crisis (slide into a crisis). The figurative sense of gradual, unnoticed drift is central at this level. The reflexive deslizarse is used for both literal and figurative senses; deslizar (non-reflexive) means to slip something in: deslizó un comentario (he slipped in a comment).
Common mistake
Deslizarse (reflexive) = slide/glide/slip. Deslizar (transitive) = slip something quietly into conversation or text. Don't confuse with resbalar (to slip accidentally and fall) — that implies loss of balance, while deslizarse is more controlled movement.