as in soapy
overly or insincerely flattering
an executive who surrounds herself with oily, sycophantic assistants
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oily
Texture matters: Choose based on your skin type—gel for oily, cream for dry.
—
Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Chain-drive ebikes can be a little too high maintenance for some, and reward you with oily clothes for your trouble.
—Paul Ridden
july 22, New Atlas, 22 July 2025
Dermatologists named it one of the best ingredients for treating acne and oily skin.
—Cathy Cassata, Health, 22 July 2025
Shop the best shampoos for oily scalp When the greasiness won’t quit, these shampoos are it.
—Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for oily
Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Chain-drive ebikes can be a little too high maintenance for some, and reward you with oily clothes for your trouble.
—Paul Ridden
july 22, New Atlas, 22 July 2025
Dermatologists named it one of the best ingredients for treating acne and oily skin.
—Cathy Cassata, Health, 22 July 2025
Shop the best shampoos for oily scalp When the greasiness won’t quit, these shampoos are it.
—Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for oily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oily
Adjective
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When Rudd, 55, appeared on Fallon's late night show to promote his new A24 movie Death of a Unicorn on Thursday, March 27, Fallon, 50, noted that Rudd has performed in just about every genre of film, television and theater one could imagine — except for the soapiest of soap operas.—
Tommy McArdle,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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There is just cause for the soapier parts: Manet was married, and Morisot wed his brother.—
Julie Belcove,
Robb Report,
23 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The brazen and aggressive manhandling of Senator Padilla by the Trump administration is a sickening disgrace.—
Emma Marsden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
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The practice is one of a sickening array of battlefield mistreatments recorded on video either by Ukrainian surveillance drones or Russian servicemen and then circulated on social media.—
Andrew Carey,
CNN Money,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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One defense, beginning in the late eighteen-hundreds, was flypaper, sheets of which were coated on one side with an oleaginous substance that lured flies, then permanently trapped them.—
David Owen,
The New Yorker,
27 July 2024
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At any moment, the noodles might dissolve, the cheese topping burn, the dish collapse into a soggy, oleaginous mess.—
Isaac Butler,
The New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2023
Adjective
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The free-range pork chop from Washington’s Pure Country Farm gets more char but remains unctuous, a rarity for such a lean cut.—
Leilani Marie Labong,
Travel + Leisure,
29 June 2025
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Martin studied under and is basically a Temu Alan Grant, while the unctuous Friend oozes with corporate evil.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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The Social Security Administration sent a gushy, questionable email July 4 to millions of people collecting Social Security benefits and others.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
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That unspoken contract between gore-hungry viewers and the film is mostly forged by Christien Tinsley, the makeup effects artist whose gushy prosthetics are shown off at every turn.—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Years of hagiographic media coverage and his immense social-media reach birthed legions of fanboys and nurtured a cult of personality.—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
28 July 2025
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Photo Gallery Feeling the heat, George accepts an offer to take the lead in a largely fictional and completely hagiographic biopic of (current) Egyptian President Al-Sisi.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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The original Scary Movie franchise parodied the teen-slasher flicks that were so abundant in the late ’90s and aughts.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
15 Aug. 2025
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But for humans, there can be some unpleasant conditions associated with swimming where sargassum is abundant, says LaPointe.—
Terry Ward,
AFAR Media,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oily. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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