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
There is nothing unctuous about the clear, aromatic broth.
—
Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026
One of the highlights is the bread cart rolled out at the beginning of the meal, right after the waiter shaves off a roll of unctuous French butter from a huge golden mound.
—Penny E Schwartz, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
Spooned over the top is a clam and cream sauce with bits of crispy guanciale strewn throughout for an unctuous, salty backbone.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The bun was buttery and slightly sweet, the pickles and mustard lended a bit of tang to the unctuous beef patties smothered in melty American cheese, and the sweet-but-slightly-spicy Sassy Sauce brought it all together without overpowering any other flavors.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026
One of the highlights is the bread cart rolled out at the beginning of the meal, right after the waiter shaves off a roll of unctuous French butter from a huge golden mound.
—Penny E Schwartz, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
Spooned over the top is a clam and cream sauce with bits of crispy guanciale strewn throughout for an unctuous, salty backbone.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The bun was buttery and slightly sweet, the pickles and mustard lended a bit of tang to the unctuous beef patties smothered in melty American cheese, and the sweet-but-slightly-spicy Sassy Sauce brought it all together without overpowering any other flavors.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuous
Adjective
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Off Campus uses the messy lives of these athletes to explore romance tropes like fake-dating plots, enemies-to-lovers twists, secret relationships, and more.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2026
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The Sentinel story published earlier this month featured both Gavi’s and Bastien’s cases as examples of Florida’s inconsistent approach to dealing with nurses who received degrees from roughly two dozen schools that sold fake nursing degrees to more than 7,000 people over the past several years.—
Annie Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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What makes a face wash better for oily skin versus dry skin?—
Sarah Felbin,
Allure,
20 May 2026
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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
Adjective
-
Zachary Taylor of Trabuco Hills also was a double-qualifier for the state meet in the shot put and discus.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
24 May 2026
-
Reliever Lena Elkins entered the game looking to limit the damage, but allowed a 2-run double by Ramirez to extend the lead to 6-1.—
Matt Murschel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.—
Caroline Reilly,
Forbes.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tatianna points to cinnamon as a conductor of heat—one commonly used in lip plumper products to achieve a sultry pout.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Andes virus, a type of hantavirus, has sparked global concern in recent weeks after causing the death of three passengers and sickening at least eight others aboard the MV Hondius, a cruise ship traveling from Argentina across the Atlantic.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
18 May 2026
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Accumulating plastic waste is overwhelming waterways and oceans, sickening marine life and threatening human health.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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García and Calvo have had a strained relationship since both attempted to run for office in the city, although García eventually withdrew from the race.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2026
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First, the explosion of remote work during the pandemic strained ties between colleagues who once saw each other in the office every day.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Unctuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unctuous. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
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