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
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
Pasta sauces are unctuous, and the tiramisu made my lactose-intolerant dining companion giddy.
—Kendyl Kearly, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024
For cooking the aromatic vegetables, but also dotted overtop, butter seeps into the breadcrumbs and crisps up the top for an unctuous, golden bite.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
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
Pasta sauces are unctuous, and the tiramisu made my lactose-intolerant dining companion giddy.
—Kendyl Kearly, Baltimore Sun, 25 Nov. 2024
For cooking the aromatic vegetables, but also dotted overtop, butter seeps into the breadcrumbs and crisps up the top for an unctuous, golden bite.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuous
Adjective
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Expect more fake eggs made of colored marshmallows or even potatoes on this year’s Easter spread With egg prices stubbornly high, the internet has offered up a host of alternatives, with crafters painting rocks and influencers dyeing everything from marshmallows to potatoes.—
William Lambers,
Hartford Courant,
18 Apr. 2025
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This dog sofa features furniture-quality construction, with fake leather upholstery, memory foam internal padding and legs to hold it off the floor.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Omega-3 fatty acids can be similarly tricky to get from food, as they’re primarily found in oily fish (like salmon and mackerel) and in smaller amounts in things like walnuts and flaxseeds—so you might be tempted to pop a fish oil capsule.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
18 Apr. 2025
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Eating healthy, oily fish, which are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, is encouraged, while eggs, dairy and poultry are eaten in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Regardless, baseball’s appeal will always be its moments of quiet wonder: the leaping outfielder robbing a homerun, the late-inning play at the plate, the double steal, the diving infielder preventing a winning run from scoring and the lifelong joy of a kid’s first hit in a Little League game.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Apr. 2025
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This double track would allow northbound and southbound trains to pass one another, increasing frequency and ridership.—
John Franklin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Apr. 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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And once the sickening jolts of the combat takeoff had ended and Bui slowly grew accustomed to the noise and the pressure of the C-130, the taste of KFC stopped his crying.—
Jennifer Brookland,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2025
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To take but one example, the riots that convulsed swatches of England and Northern Ireland last year were fueled by social media accounts claiming sickening crimes by immigrants, amplified by right-wing accounts.—
David Robert Grimes,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In both cases, the criticism is not completely superficial.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
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The two who were shot suffered what police called superficial wounds and were hospitalized for their injuries.—
Mike Nolan,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Overtourism is a serious concern, particularly for smaller ports, where large crowds can have a significant impact, leading to strained infrastructure and affecting local quality of life.—
Jessica Benavides Canepa,
AFAR Media,
17 Apr. 2025
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Forbes reported that the relationship between Natalia and the Mans family became strained in 2023, the same year the couple officially adopted her.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unctuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unctuous. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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