teflon

T1E1F4L1O1N1
/ˈtɛflɒn/

noun

Synonym of polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE.

“the teflon Prime Minister”

Less commonScrabble 9

Meanings

teflon1

nounteflon (uncountable)
  1. uncountableSynonym of polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE.

    ...tweeting in defiance at all those horrendous scandals that were meant to destroy his campaign. He made teflon look sticky.

    2016 September 11, James Eagle, Donald Trump: Why is the world so surprised?, retrieved 30 Oct 2017

    Synonyms: polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE

adjectiveteflon (comparative more teflon, superlative most teflon)

comparative more teflon · superlative most teflon

  1. figurativelyNon-stick, slick.
  2. figurativelyAble to easily shrug off or deflect criticism or blame.

    the teflon Prime Minister

Teflon2

proper noun
  1. A brand name of polytetrafluoroethylene (“PTFE”) products, latterly applied to other fluoropolymer products.
nounTeflon (countable and uncountable, plural Teflons)

plural Teflons · alternative teflon

  1. countableuncountableMultiple film, resin, coatings, fabric and surface protectors made with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) or fluoropolymer and surfactants not made with PTFE.

    ...tweeting in defiance at all those horrendous scandals that were meant to destroy his campaign. He made teflon look sticky.

    2016 November 9, James Eagle, Donald Trump: Why is the world so surprised?, retrieved 30 Oct 2017
    1 more example

    Look at that there fool playing dirty tricks He must be made of Teflon 'cause nothing ever sticks Dancing 'round the room while farting in the breeze Friends huff it down like it's American cheese

    2022, “Follow the Fool”, performed by Primus
  2. countableuncountableSynonym of polytetrafluoroethylene (“PTFE”).

    Synonyms: polytetrafluoroethylene

adjectiveTeflon (not comparable)

alternative teflon

  1. informalnot comparableHaving an undamageable reputation (by analogy with nonstick Teflon surfaces).

    a Teflon image

    2 more examples

    But Ronald Reagan, by everybody's definition, was the Teflon president, and it wasn't that the media tried to touch him and failed.

    1995, Liz Cunningham, Talking Politics: Choosing the President in the Television Age

    He would have called the man by his first name and said, Not at all, so and so, but though he was very good at remembering names where clients were concerned, there was something very Teflon about these guys and nothing about them was sticking with him.

    2010, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, The Godmother's Web, Gypsy Shadow Publishing, →ISBN, page 33

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSynonym of polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE.

nounSynonym of polytetrafluoroethylene (“PTFE”).

More synonyms by meaning

nouna material used to coat cooking utensils and in industrial applications where sticking is to be avoided

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

teflon · noun, adjective

Genericization of trademark Teflon.

Full word history & related roots →

Teflon · proper noun, noun, adjective

Trade name, 1940s. From the first letters of tetra- (“four”) + fluoro- (“fluorine”) + -on modeled after nylon etc. From the fluorine count of polytetrafluoroethylene.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

teflon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teflon

MLA

“teflon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teflon. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “teflon,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teflon.

Source: teflon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.