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
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
The frenzied yet articulate tenor Gerhard Siegel, a veteran Herod, oozes unctuous entitlement.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Then Maddy unexpectedly turns on the humor and charm when Austin’s Hollywood agent Saul — played with unctuous insincerity by Dave Rivas — arrives to talk business.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
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
The frenzied yet articulate tenor Gerhard Siegel, a veteran Herod, oozes unctuous entitlement.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Then Maddy unexpectedly turns on the humor and charm when Austin’s Hollywood agent Saul — played with unctuous insincerity by Dave Rivas — arrives to talk business.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuous
Adjective
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Methanol is an industrial chemical that can cause nerve and liver damage and is sometimes found in fake or poorly distilled alcohol.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Aside from games like volleyball and dominoes, Gach says some children stage fake ambushes on one another while pretending to be government forces or rebel fighters.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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They are also known for their thick, oily fur that stays dry in the rain.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
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The same products that work for oily skin won't work as well for dry skin, so choose a product tailored to your skin type.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For some Obamacare beneficiaries, premiums are expected to more than double, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (aka KFF), a nonprofit health care research organization.—
Todd Spangler,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
On the morning of June 3, Pandora's mother, Simone Kjolsrud, told The Republic that on May 26, the pair were victims of a double homicide while the teens were on a camping trip.—
Julie Mendes,
AZCentral.com,
3 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
-
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
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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
Adjective
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To come in and have [designers] fight over my Polaroid would be so sickening, or even a judge on the show.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Sep. 2025
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Man arrested for sickening act at Charlie Kirk memorial outside Turning Point HQ MAJOR HEADLINES PARTY POWERPLAY – Zohran Mamdani lands key endorsement in New York City mayoral race.—
,
FOXNews.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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So, pretty people and sunshine are a superficial symptom of something much deeper.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
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Mark’s bond with another trainer, Bas Rutten (played by the real-life former wrestler and broadcaster Bas Rutten), is similarly superficial.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Qatar is deepening its presence in Egypt after more than a decade of strained ties.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Reports about father and son’s strained relationship have been everywhere of late.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unctuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unctuous. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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