What does "unctuous" mean?
Having the nature or properties of an unguent or ointment; greasy, oily.
Unctuous
/ˈʌŋ(k)t͡ʃʊəs/ adj
adj ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Having the nature or properties of an unguent or ointment; greasy, oily.
- Grammar: unctuous is listed as adj.
- Nearest alternatives: oily, smarmy, adipose, adipose.
- Useful contrasts: dry, forthright, frank.
- Usage evidence: The politician's unctuous smile failed to calm the restive crowd demanding real answers.
How to use "unctuous"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "unctuous" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "unctuous" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "unctuous" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "unctuous" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "unctuous" is acting as adj in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "oily" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "unctuous", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Having the nature or properties of an unguent or ointment; greasy, oily.
"It is, of the one part, / A humide exhalation, vvhich vve call / Materia liquida, or the Vnctuous VVater; […]"
- 2 Having fat or oil present; fatty, greasy, oily.
"Meates fatte and vnctuouſe, nouryſheth, and maketh ſoluble."
- 3 Of an aroma or taste, or a beverage (such as coffee or wine) or food (such as gravy, meat, or sauce): having layers of concentrated, velvety flavour; lush, rich.
"Again, Taſts may properly be ſaid, to be Soft or Hard. A Soft Taſte, is either Vapid, as in VVatery Bodies, VVhites of Eggs, Starch, Fine Boles, &c. Or Unctuous, as in Oyls, Fat, &c. […] Contrary to an Unctuous Taſte, are Aſtringent, and Pungent; as in Galls, and Spirit of Sal Aromanick."
- 4 Of soil: soft and sticky.
"Furthermore, good and excellent Earth ſhould be of the ſame conſtitution, and not of contrary, as ſoft and hard; churliſh and mild; moiſt and dry; not too unctuous nor too lean, but reſoluble, and of a juſt and procreative temper, combining into a light, and eaſily crumbling Mould; […]"
- 5 Of a person:; Complacent, self-satisfied, smug. figuratively
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Of a person:; Profusely polite, especially in an insincere and unpleasant manner. figuratively
""No bankers' books, or cheque books, or bill, or such tokens of wealth rolling in from day to day?" said old Sol, looking wistfully at his nephew out of the fog that always seemed to hang about him, and laying an unctuous emphasis upon the words."
Adjective
- 1 unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The politician's unctuous smile failed to calm the restive crowd demanding real answers."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "unctuous"?
Common synonyms include: oily, smarmy, adipose, adipose, adulatory, affected.
How do you use "unctuous" in a sentence?
The politician's unctuous smile failed to calm the restive crowd demanding real answers.
How do you pronounce "unctuous"?
Pronounced /ˈʌŋ(k)t͡ʃʊəs/.
Etymology
From Late Middle English unctuous [and other forms], borrowed from Medieval Latin ūnctuōsus (“greasy, oily, unctuous”), from Latin ūnctum (“ointment; rich banquet; rich savoury dish”) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of; overly’ forming adjectives from nouns). Ūnctum is a noun use of the perfect passive participle of unguō (“to anoint; to smear with oil, to grease or oil”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃engʷ- (“to anoint; to smear”). Cognates * Italian untuoso * Old French onctües, unctueus, unctuose (modern French onctueux) * Portuguese unctuoso * Spanish untuoso