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
The facility had an oily baffle filter above the char grill.
—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
may 29, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
Eventually, a wharf employee noticed one of the crates was leaking an oily substance.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
The lightweight, non-oily serum is great for overall density on fine textures.
—Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 29 May 2026
This cleanser works well for dry skin, but it’s formulated to suit all skin types, including oily, acne-prone, and normal complexions.
—Kieaundria Bellamy, InStyle, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for oily
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
may 29, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
Eventually, a wharf employee noticed one of the crates was leaking an oily substance.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
The lightweight, non-oily serum is great for overall density on fine textures.
—Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 29 May 2026
This cleanser works well for dry skin, but it’s formulated to suit all skin types, including oily, acne-prone, and normal complexions.
—Kieaundria Bellamy, InStyle, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for oily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oily
Adjective
-
These are soapy, sudsy materials that form a film over fire and starve it of oxygen.—
Carrie McDonough,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
-
Wash your hands with hot, soapy water for at least 20 seconds and do it often.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The concept of this many women vying for West is somewhat sickening to me.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
-
So united and powerful were these Indigenous people that some of their enemies started to get desperate, that whiff of anxiety taking on a sickening stench.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
His widow doesn’t exactly look too broken up; less than a week after his death, Lee spots her snuggling with Dale’s brother Donald, an oleaginous candidate for governor played by Kyle MacLachlan.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
23 Sep. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
All the women are obsessed with an oily, unctuous man named Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott), who’s now married to Elle’s ex-lover Dominique (Liu).—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
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Zesty juniper-forward versions soar in a classic Negroni, floral gins impress in a rosy gin-kombucha cocktail, and unctuous savory gin is indelible in a 50/50 martini.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps no father-daughter duo is cooler than Lenny and Zoë Kravitz, but that doesn't mean the rocker is immune to all the gushy feelings fatherhood brings.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
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
-
But all the myth and sorrow around the dynasty mean many takes tilt hagiographic.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When farmers implemented regenerative techniques, the yield was more abundant, and the soil was full of microbial life.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
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The highlight of your month arrives on June 9, when Venus and Jupiter align in your sign in one of the most abundant and feel-good transits of the year.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oily. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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