as in soapy
overly or insincerely flattering
an executive who surrounds herself with oily, sycophantic assistants
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oily
They are also known for their thick, oily fur that stays dry in the rain.
—
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
The same products that work for oily skin won't work as well for dry skin, so choose a product tailored to your skin type.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 Sep. 2025
Better at Breaking Down Grease and Oil Dropping oily or greasy food onto our clothes can be a panic-inducing experience.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025
There was also an important decrease in sebum, the oily stuff that protects your skin but also triggers acne.
—Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oily
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
The same products that work for oily skin won't work as well for dry skin, so choose a product tailored to your skin type.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 Sep. 2025
Better at Breaking Down Grease and Oil Dropping oily or greasy food onto our clothes can be a panic-inducing experience.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025
There was also an important decrease in sebum, the oily stuff that protects your skin but also triggers acne.
—Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oily
Adjective
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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
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The Buccaneers, which mixes soapy costume drama with Taylor Swift songs, has been well reviewed by critics (72% Rotten Tomatoes average) and has developed a devoted following but has not broken out the way some of Apple TV+’s broad-appeal hits have.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Just a sickening day for Jameson Williams’ managers.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Those recalls were the major change in Friday’s FDA update on the outbreak, credited with sickening 20 people and killing four, one of which was a fetus, over 15 states.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
5 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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Ride-sharing services like Uber and taxis are abundant in Palma, but become unreliable at the farther reaches of the island.—
Emilio Parra Doiztua,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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The team is exploring its use in sodium-ion batteries, an alternative to lithium-ion technology because sodium is more abundant.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oily. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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