oleaginous

adjective

ˌō-lē-ˈa-jə-nəs How to pronounce oleaginous (audio)
Definition of oleaginousnext
as in oily
overly or insincerely flattering the office manager greeted the corporate bigwigs with an oleaginous welcome that should have embarrassed him

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 oleaginous 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 The interludes make for juicy lampoons of that unfortunate Western export, oleaginous showbiz faux-intimacy. — Peter Marks, Washington Post, 21 June 2022 The French state is represented effectively here by oleaginous High Commissioner De Roller (Magimel), a European long based in Tahiti. — Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oleaginous
  1. oily
  2. unctuous
  3. sickening
  4. hagiographic
  5. soapy
  6. abundant
  7. gushy
Adjective
  • Hassett’s tenacious acoustic guitar figure is stark and dusky like early Leonard Cohen, oozing low strings and a big oily bass.
    — Brian Howe, Pitchfork, 21 July 2026
  • For those pursuing a less oily non-stick experience, try the ceramic pan (a personal favorite for cooking eggs).
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 20 July 2026
Definition of oily
Adjective
  • The unctuous and sweet char siu pork jowl is interspersed with green apple pressed with lime and ginger for a bright and crisp counter to the fatty pig.
    — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 16 June 2026
  • Made with the unctuous 8-percent-fat milk of the water buffalo—animals that may have arrived in the area via the Normans by way of Sicily, or perhaps by the Goths coming from Central Asia—buffalo mozzarella has been produced at least since the twelfth century.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Definition of unctuous
Adjective
  • To defile the legacy of his family and that family name is sickening, and turns my stomach.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026
  • The 2022 spill was the largest ever from the Keystone pipeline, killing or sickening 2,700 animals.
    — Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 10 July 2026
Definition of sickening
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
  • This dark, soapy comedy opens with a dramatic suicide and the promise that what led to it will be revealed.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • For instance, in 2018, Ristroph and colleagues fine-tuned the recipe for the perfect bubble based on experiments with soapy thin films.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026
Definition of soapy
Adjective
  • As intelligence becomes abundant, intelligence alone will stop being a durable differentiator.
    — Regan Peng, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Apart from the abundant trade of silk and spices, the Silk Road facilitated the transfer of technologies and philosophies and the interaction of Indian and Chinese peoples.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 July 2026
Definition of abundant
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

Browse Nearby Words

old-world
oleaginous
oligarchies
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Cite this Entry

“Oleaginous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oleaginous. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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