sticky

Compared meaning: sticky to the touch, or able to bond firmly (adjective).

比较义项：表面粘、发粘，或能牢固粘附（形容词）。

• sticky 本词

  Describes a surface or object coated with a substance that sticks to skin or other things; informal, sensory, often mildly unpleasant (jam, sap, sweat).

  描述表面或物体沾上一种会粘住皮肤或其他东西的物质；口语化、强调触感，常带轻微不悦的意味（如果酱、树脂、汗水）。

  My hands got sticky after eating the ripe mango.

  吃完熟芒果后，我的手变得粘乎乎的。

• adhesive

  Describes a material's or product's ability to bond firmly to a surface; more formal and technical, typically describing glue, tape or other bonding products.

  描述材料或产品能牢固粘附在表面上的能力；较正式、专业，通常用来形容胶水、胶带等粘合产品。

  He used strong adhesive to stick the broken handle back together.

  他用了强力粘合剂把断裂的把手重新粘在一起。

Both describe something that sticks, but sticky means a surface coated with something clingy, often unpleasant, and sounds casual. Adhesive describes a material's ability to bond firmly, like glue or tape, and sounds formal. Sticky can also mean a difficult situation, not compared here.

sticky 强调物体表面沾上粘性物质、摸起来发粘的触感，语气较口语化，常带轻微不悦的意味；adhesive 强调材料或产品本身具有牢固粘合的能力，语气更正式、专业，多用于描述胶水、胶带等产品。这里不比较 sticky 表示“棘手的（情况）”的引申义。

Compared meaning: difficult to deal with, awkward (adjective).

比较义项：难以应对、棘手（adj.）。

• sticky 本词

  Informal, describing an awkward, delicate situation that risks embarrassment or trouble; common in the fixed phrase 'sticky situation', rarely used for tasks or objects.

  口语化，指令人尴尬或棘手、需要小心处理的局面，处理不当会带来尴尬或麻烦；常见于固定搭配“sticky situation”，很少用来形容任务或物品。

  We were in a sticky situation when both clients demanded the same delivery slot.

  当两位客户都要求同一个送货时段时，我们陷入了棘手的境地。

• problematic

  Neutral to formal, describing something that causes concern or needs correcting, often a behavior, plan, or trend; common in professional and academic writing, not used for physical objects.

  语域中性偏正式，形容令人担忧、需要纠正处理的行为、计划或趋势；常见于职场和学术写作，不用于形容实物。

  Her tendency to interrupt colleagues became problematic during long meetings.

  她打断同事发言的习惯，在长时间的会议中变得成问题。

• hard

  The most general, everyday word for anything requiring effort or skill; applies broadly to tasks, questions, decisions or subjects, and is far more common and informal than the other two.

  最通用、日常的词，泛指任何需要付出努力或技巧才能完成的事情；可广泛用于任务、问题、决定或学科，比另外两个词更常用、更口语化。

  Learning a new language while working full-time is really hard.

  一边全职工作一边学习一门新语言真的很难。

All three describe a difficult situation, but differ in tone. Sticky is informal, meaning an awkward situation ('sticky situation'), not tasks. Problematic is neutral-to-formal, for a concerning behavior or plan. Hard is the most common, general word for effort. Their other senses are not compared.

这三个词都可以形容令人为难、难以处理的情况，但语气和正式程度不同；这里不比较 sticky 表示“粘的”或 hard 表示“坚硬的”等其他义项。