Synonyms of oil

oil 1 of 2

noun

ˈȯi(-ə)l 

as in painting

a picture created with oil paint

that artist is known to have created only oils and charcoal sketches

Synonyms & Similar Words

• painting
• canvas
• oil painting
• watercolor
• mural
• fresco
• panorama
• drawing
• acrylic
• etching
• gouache
• pastel
• masterpiece
• tempera
• diptych
• distemper
• finger painting
• sketch
• aquarelle
• triptych
• showpiece
• pièce de résistance

oil

2 of 2

verb

as in to grease

to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction

if you oil the machinery on a regular basis, it will operate more efficiently

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grease
• wax
• lubricate
• wash
• slick
• wet
• water
• soak
• bathe
• drench
• douse
• souse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rough
• dry
• roughen
• coarsen
• sear
• dehydrate
• parch

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of oil

Noun

As olives ripen, their oil content increases, texture softens and flavor becomes milder and less bitter – with the bitterness due to naturally occurring compounds called oleuropeins. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 July 2026

Strait of Hormuz closed The strait, the key waterway that served as the route for roughly one-fifth the world’s oil supply before the war, has been a sore spot for Iran and the United States amid attempts to broker peace. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 11 July 2026

Verb

At that point, a piston forces oil upward through small or large openings and valves, depending on the velocity of the impact. — Stephanie Pearson, Wired News, 3 June 2026

Cavallari posted a clip of her and her oiled-up, bronzed six-pack in action on Instagram. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026

Phrases Containing oil

• oil painting
• oil the hand (of)
• oil the palm (of)