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
Some bars are dry on the tongue, others are unctuous.
—
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Field peas, red rice and the best part — oxtail — cooked down, down and down again into a warm, unctuous delight.
—Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
The prospectors liked to compare the warm, unctuous caress of the silt on their legs and thighs to the kisses of ten thousand lips, rather than imagine that the river had nothing to offer them—except mud.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Over time, the stew evolved to an unctuous base made of rockfish, herbs, potatoes and tomatoes combined with fish stock, ground with a food mill and strained.
—Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Field peas, red rice and the best part — oxtail — cooked down, down and down again into a warm, unctuous delight.
—Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
The prospectors liked to compare the warm, unctuous caress of the silt on their legs and thighs to the kisses of ten thousand lips, rather than imagine that the river had nothing to offer them—except mud.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Over time, the stew evolved to an unctuous base made of rockfish, herbs, potatoes and tomatoes combined with fish stock, ground with a food mill and strained.
—Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuous
Adjective
-
If filmmakers can prompt fake actors to deliver precise performances, where does that leave human actors?—
Holly Willis,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The 18-minute fake pitch meeting!—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Some residents described a thick, oily film covering cars and rooftops, The New York Times reported.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The strikes, which marked the first time in the war Israel has openly attacked civilian industrial infrastructure in Iran, sent fiery pillars and black smoke into the sky and caused oily raindrops to fall onto the city.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
D'Orazio followed with a two-run, ground-rule double.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Batting in the leadoff spot, Boston’s top shortstop prospect, Franklin Arias, got the scoring started in the bottom of the third with a go-ahead two-run double off the wall.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 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
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, in the middle of the nation’s public transit capital, the same engineers want to expand the shadow of the Cross Bronx, using maintenance and safety standards as convenient covers while further dividing and sickening communities.—
Gustavo Rivera,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
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Nothing feels worse than the sickening realization that your good intentions harmed the beautiful birds in your yard.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When Sony ultimately gets its way, Anderson and DiCaprio’s once-close relationship is noticeably strained on set.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with those claims at a White House meeting last year that underlined the strained relationship.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
The chatter has only grown in recent days, after Ms. Anderson — who just celebrated a birthday — posted a story on her Instagram account, showing a lavish bouquet of flowers and a gushy card from an admirer.—
Jesse McKinley,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Unctuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unctuous. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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