How to say "slime" in Japanese

• ぬめりCommon
  nounSlime as a slippery, viscous coating or the slimy feel of a surface — the slick film on a fish's skin, for instance; also mucus. Usually written in kana alone.
• ヘドロCommon
  nounReally means sludge: foul, polluted ooze, typically the muck that collects in contaminated waterways. Use it for 'slime' only when the slime is filthy pollution, not a mere slippery coating.
• 汚泥おでいCommon
  nounPrimarily means sludge — thick, semi-liquid waste matter or dregs — so as a translation of 'slime' it is marginal: apt only when the slime is literally sludge or mire.

「ぬめり」 covers slime as a slippery, viscous coating or feel; 「ヘドロ」 and 汚泥 primarily mean sludge, so use them for 'slime' only when it is filthy, polluted ooze rather than a mere slippery film.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• ぬめりslime
• へどろsludge
• 汚泥おでいsludge
• スライムslime