oily

adjective

\ ˈȯi-lē

oilier; oiliest

Definition of oily

1 : of, relating to, or consisting of oil

2a : covered or impregnated with oil oily rags

b : relatively high in naturally secreted oils oily skin oily hair

3 : excessively smooth or suave in manner

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Examples of oily in a Sentence

The liquid has an oily feel. a pile of oily rags The salad dressing was very oily.

Recent Examples on the Web

Skin spatula devices show a milky, oily liquid coming out of pores. — Macaela Mackenzie, Allure, "The "Skin Spatula" Device Is Going Viral as a Blackhead Treatment," 6 July 2018 Unlike some, this recipe is neither too dry nor too oily. — Daniel Neman, sacbee, "Spread joy: Cook with peanut butter | The Sacramento Bee," 3 Apr. 2018 Fish, whether whole or cut, should be firm and shiny, but never soft, mushy, sticky or oily, signs of age. — Nicole Sours Larson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "White fish & vegetables," 9 July 2018 My combination skin, usually dehydrated yet still oily around my forehead, looked more even textured and hydrated. — Sarah Ban, SELF, "I Tried Hypnosis for Insomnia. Then My Skin Cleared Up.," 1 Apr. 2018 The oily gaseous mixture then deposits on the intake valves via the positive crankcase ventilation, or PCV, system. — Bob Weber, chicagotribune.com, "Drivers can ship your car cross country," 8 July 2018 That Need Attention: Skip slathering your entire face (unless your skin is especially oily), and target your T-zone—being sure to hit the lower half of your forehead, the sides of your nose, chin, and eyelids if your shadow tends to crease. — Amber Kallor, Marie Claire, "The Foundation Mistake Almost All Women Make," 28 Apr. 2017 By one estimate, vessels intentionally discharge some 276,000 tonnes of oily gunk into the sea each year, nearly half as much as the Deepwater Horizon disaster spewed into the Gulf of Mexico. — The Economist, "Avast, me hearties," 5 July 2018 The two cooking methods brought out the oily silkiness of the escolar, which made the roll even more rich when coupled with fried garlic, avocado slivers and mushroom cream. — Lauren Delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Urban Hibachi Sushi & Grill plates up elegant Japanese fare," 30 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oily.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.