OILY Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

oily

adjective

ˈȯi-lē

Definition of oily

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of oily My skin felt super soft, and—more importantly in this humid weather—looked less oily and brighter the next morning. — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 10 Aug. 2026 Over time, these harsh or oily formulas leave behind residue that dulls the shine and attracts dirt, making your floors look cloudy instead of clean. — Martha Stewart, 8 Aug. 2026 There was something flylike about people with healthy, oily skin. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 Greasy or oily rags can ignite in the dryer due to heat buildup and flammable residue. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for oily

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oily

Adjective

The sultry, soapy Netflix series — based on the 2021 novel by May Cobb — follows Sophie (Brittany Snow), a Boston transplant who moves to Texas and falls in with an elite group of women led by Margo (Malin Akerman).

— Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 22 Aug. 2026
Be careful to not use too much, or you’ll be left with a soapy mess.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of soapy

Adjective

Wildlife officials had found that many of these poisons worked their way through the food chain, sickening and killing owls, raptors, coyotes and mountain lions.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
More importantly, the China business, long a stalwart, started a sickening double-digit decline.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of sickening

Adjective

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
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

Definition of oleaginous

Adjective

Played with unctuous authority by the multilingual Danish performer Claes Bang, Kersten claims to have used his influence to obtain the freedom of thousands of concentration camp prisoners, and is obsessed with winning a Nobel Prize.

— Alissa Simon, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
The uni—or sea urchin—come from Hokkaido and have an unctuous, egg yolk richness.

— Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Midwest Living, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of unctuous

Adjective

Except for the unfettered devotion in the latter is replaced by swooping strings and a gushy chorus that merely offer an antiseptic veneer.

— Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 18 June 2026
The announcement may come as a shock for country fans who have followed the couple through their sappy podcast appearances and gushy acceptance speeches.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2026

Definition of gushy

Adjective

Though mighty hagiographic, McPhee’s ability to break down a player’s gifts makes a poetic case for the game.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
While these celebrity docs are hagiographic and formulaic, the interviews with Nadal and family and rivals like Federer and Novak Djokovic do push beyond the surface.

— Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026

Definition of hagiographic

Adjective

The location provides key advantages, state officials said, including access to abundant natural gas and the ability to launch to a wide range of trajectories.

— Stephen Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Voya says its fuel can be made from low-grade scrap aluminum, giving the system a potential route to turn an abundant waste material into a source of firm electricity.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026