as in soapy
overly or insincerely flattering
an executive who surrounds herself with oily, sycophantic assistants
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oily
Well, who likes the feeling of oily skin?
—
Mary Honkus, Glamour, 10 Oct. 2025
The edible butternuts are sweet and oily, oval-shaped and enclosed in a shell.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
And due to the foaming nature, experts oft recommend it for oily skin types.
—Beatrice Zocchi, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2025
While unwinding with a Big Gulp pour of red wine at home, Taverner gets a visit Peter Judd MP (Samuel West), the oily right-wing politico that Slow Horses author Mick Herron once compared to Boris Johnson.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oily
Mary Honkus, Glamour, 10 Oct. 2025
The edible butternuts are sweet and oily, oval-shaped and enclosed in a shell.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
And due to the foaming nature, experts oft recommend it for oily skin types.
—Beatrice Zocchi, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2025
While unwinding with a Big Gulp pour of red wine at home, Taverner gets a visit Peter Judd MP (Samuel West), the oily right-wing politico that Slow Horses author Mick Herron once compared to Boris Johnson.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oily
Adjective
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Then blot the stain with a clean, damp cloth, making sure to remove any soapy residue.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
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Like millions of viewers, Rashad Raisani grew enchanted with Music City through watching the soapy nighttime drama Nashville, which captivated fans during its 2012-2018 run and led to a major tourism boom in Nashville and interest in country music.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The injury was so sickening that the CBS broadcast only replayed it once, lest anyone with a weak stomach lose their lunch.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
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Just a sickening day for Jameson Williams’ managers.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 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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Ted Cruz, the perennial front-runner, is smug and oleaginous—hated equally by his colleagues and the public.—
Alex Shephard,
The New Republic,
26 Sep. 2022
Adjective
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When coitus occurs, it’s scored by unctuous music.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
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In its equilibrium, a good tomato sandwich is juicy and unctuous and appropriately messy, which is praise all-too-often reserved for hot sandwiches like cheesesteaks or patty melts.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
18 July 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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The chatter has only grown in recent days, after Ms. Anderson — who just celebrated a birthday — posted a story on her Instagram account, showing a lavish bouquet of flowers and a gushy card from an admirer.—
Jesse McKinley,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Eschewing the polished, hagiographic style of many contemporary making-of documentaries, Figgis keeps his footprint small and his perspective immediate.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
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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
Adjective
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This finding suggests that ST-OPV glazed windows could be especially effective in tropical and subtropical climates, where sunlight is abundant and air conditioning demands are high.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Oct. 2025
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Would-be data center developers in Indiana find abundant land, cheaper energy and hefty tax incentives to help jumpstart projects.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oily. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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