Synonyms of oil

oil 1 of 4

noun (1)

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

oil

2 of 4

verb (1)

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
• dowse
• douse
• souse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

oils

3 of 4

noun (2)

plural of oil

as in paintings

a picture created with oil paint

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• paintings
• canvases
• canvasses
• watercolors
• murals
• frescoes
• oil paintings
• panoramas
• drawings
• acrylics
• etchings
• pastels
• gouaches
• masterpieces
• aquarelles
• diptychs
• distempers
• sketches
• finger paintings
• temperas
• triptychs
• showpieces
• pièces de résistance

oils

4 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of oil

as in greases

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

• greases
• waxes
• lubricates
• washes
• slicks
• wets
• waters
• soaks
• bathes
• drenches
• douses
• dowses
• souses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• coarsens
• roughens
• roughs
• dries
• sears
• dehydrates
• parches

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of oil

Noun

The move includes rolling back emission regulations on coal, oil and gas production and reevaluating government findings that determined that greenhouse gas emissions heat the planet and are a threat to public health, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2025

The legislation would also levy a 500% tariff on countries that purchase Russian oil or natural gas. —David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2025

Verb

Use an oil mister or a pastry brush to oil the plates, which will prevent the overuse of oil and keep excess oil from building up on the grid plates. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2025

But oiling the wheels of commerce wasn’t for him. —Sean Gregory / Boston, TIME, 27 Jan. 2025

Phrases Containing oil

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