1
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
an unctuous effort to appear religious to the voters
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in oily
overly or insincerely flattering
an unctuous appraisal of the musical talent shown by the boss's daughter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unctuous
But there's an elevated simplicity in Rolf and Daughters' tangle of excellent tonnarelli, spun in an unctuous garlicky sauce, finished with sweet, tender lumps of Dungeness crab.
—
Mackensy Lunsford, Nashville Tennessean, 14 July 2025
Martin studied under and is basically a Temu Alan Grant, while the unctuous Friend oozes with corporate evil.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 June 2025
The free-range pork chop from Washington’s Pure Country Farm gets more char but remains unctuous, a rarity for such a lean cut.
—Leilani Marie Labong, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2025
At times, the display of closeness felt a bit unctuous, as when Musk praised Trump for his gold-heavy interior design makeover of the Oval Office.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Mackensy Lunsford, Nashville Tennessean, 14 July 2025
Martin studied under and is basically a Temu Alan Grant, while the unctuous Friend oozes with corporate evil.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 June 2025
The free-range pork chop from Washington’s Pure Country Farm gets more char but remains unctuous, a rarity for such a lean cut.
—Leilani Marie Labong, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2025
At times, the display of closeness felt a bit unctuous, as when Musk praised Trump for his gold-heavy interior design makeover of the Oval Office.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuous
Adjective
-
Ryan Scully scored on a 44-yard fake punt and Ethan Polloreno returned an interception for a score.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Instead, the Pack ran a laughably bad fake-kick play — on fourth-and-17, no less.—
Jim Keyser,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
How To Get Rid Of Grease Stains For really oily, greasy stains, start by coating them with a layer of cornstarch or baking soda to soak up some of the grease.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
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Some milky toners even pull double duty as a moisturizer replacement, which is perfect for those who live in humid climates or anyone with naturally oilier skin.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Their double life soon gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret begins stealing their fans.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
How to Watch Pistons vs Rockets Durant scored 23 points before fouling out as the Rockets fell 125-124 in double overtime to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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
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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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The pop of color offers a shimmer-free (rare!) means of warming up a wedding look and works equally well at lip level.—
Calin Van Paris,
Vogue,
12 Aug. 2025
-
By After Testing Over 30 Best Sellers By Siena Gagliano Unlike balms, which can make lip color slide around, a primer locks it in while keeping lips soft and comfortable.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Winter is coming, and no amount of Narcan can solve this sickening public health crisis.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
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The injury was so sickening that the CBS broadcast only replayed it once, lest anyone with a weak stomach lose their lunch.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This was all in jest though and while many would object to making homophobia a joke, there didn’t appear to be actual malice behind it, at least from a superficial look.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
28 Oct. 2025
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Denim Halo utilizes Dirsol RD, a new viscosity-modifying and patented pretreatment that enables superficial dyeing.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The relationship between the longtime allies remains strained.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The deal, which will likely be finalized when the leaders of the two global superpowers meet this week, is expected to include a break for farmers — particularly soybean farmers, who have been hit hard by the strained trade relationship.—
Auzinea Bacon,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unctuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unctuous. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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