1
as in fake
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express
an unctuous effort to appear religious to the voters
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Those suspects include the bartender (Gabrielle Ryan), a sad sack of a man on a blind date (Reed Diamond), an imperious hostess (Sarah McCormack), and an unctuous, boozy piano player (Ed Weeks).
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Mar. 2025
The maguey imparts a subtly vegetal flavor, and cooks reserve just enough fat so that each bite of meat is unctuous.
—Edmund Tijerina, Bon Appétit, 27 Feb. 2025
Mandelson is a deeply charming, borderline unctuous character.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
The pickled mustard seeds provide little pears of flavor and an edge of acid that cuts through the unctuous dish.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Mar. 2025
The maguey imparts a subtly vegetal flavor, and cooks reserve just enough fat so that each bite of meat is unctuous.
—Edmund Tijerina, Bon Appétit, 27 Feb. 2025
Mandelson is a deeply charming, borderline unctuous character.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
The pickled mustard seeds provide little pears of flavor and an edge of acid that cuts through the unctuous dish.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuous
Adjective
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Already, misinformation campaigns and fake news challenge our ability to discern truth.—
Sahar Hashmi,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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Avoiding secondary scams Marilyn’s story also highlights a second danger of fake support numbers and remote access scams.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Mok added that other foods may offer similar health benefits, especially for sleep, including walnuts, tart cherry juice, oily fish like salmon, and some herbal teas, although more research is needed.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
27 June 2025
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Their billionaire potential investor, Alton (Jemaine Clement, whose oily lecherousness may remind you of a recent government employee), has a neural chip in his temple that’s layered an invisible computer screen over his retinas.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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After a crew chief review, it was ruled a double, giving the Mets a 7-4 lead.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2025
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It’s quietly been a hot stretch for Rafaela, who’s hitting .333 with four double and five homers over his last 21 games.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
21 June 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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At any moment, the noodles might dissolve, the cheese topping burn, the dish collapse into a soggy, oleaginous mess.—
Isaac Butler,
The New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2023
Adjective
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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
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For lip color, reach for the Merit Beauty Signature lipsticks.—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The portal that allows the players to go from school to school is also sickening.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
9 June 2025
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The Queens Botanical Garden’s annual Pride event will feature DJ music, after-hours access to the garden and sickening drag performances by Nani Tsunami and Janae SaisQuoi.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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By proactively identifying and mitigating potential data pitfalls and by diligently implementing these four key strategies, product strategy teams can transition from having a superficial reliance on data to a deep and comprehensive mastery of it.—
Ramalakshmi Murugan,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Yet the superficial script lets the actors and crew members down.—
Stephen Farber,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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On this track, he and FOLA trade lines seamlessly and effortlessly, with the young singer fitting right in on the emotional track about a strained relationship that both sides are trying to save.—
Heran Mamo,
Billboard,
30 June 2025
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The country’s Transitional Presidential Council also adopted a resolution authorizing the involvement of a controversial force, the Protected Areas Security Brigade, to fight gangs despite the agency’s strained relationships with the Haiti National Police.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unctuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unctuous. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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