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
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
Long maturation sous voile, or under a veil of yeast, gives Vin Jaune a salty, earthen complexity, bold spice, and texture that’s satiny, even unctuous—perfect for rich soups and stews.
—Anna Lee C. Iijima, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Nov. 2025
When coitus occurs, it’s scored by unctuous music.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
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
Long maturation sous voile, or under a veil of yeast, gives Vin Jaune a salty, earthen complexity, bold spice, and texture that’s satiny, even unctuous—perfect for rich soups and stews.
—Anna Lee C. Iijima, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Nov. 2025
When coitus occurs, it’s scored by unctuous music.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuous
Adjective
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Every morning, animal care manager Kim Carr stops by to prepare breakfast, scattering treats across their enclosures that are filled with fake tree trunks, log piles and hanging branches — an organic jungle gym for creatures that are born to climb and play.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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The allegedly fake document surfaced as CapRadio, a nonprofit broadcaster that is licensed to Sacramento State, underwent its standard annual audit in fall 2022.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Their ice maker expelled large clumps of wet salt, which, when rubbed, dissolved into an oily, foul-smelling substance.—
Nick Bowlin,
The Frontier,
16 Feb. 2026
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Don’t remove the oily coffee film with soap or hands - that film adds richness to the flavor of the coffee.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite famously hailing from Barbados, Rihanna really comes into her own with glamorous winter dressing, from double denim to every kind of animal print, and full AWGE.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Romero’s knock followed a double by Kristian Campbell, who impressed at the plate for the second day in a row.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 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
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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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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
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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
-
The rest of us could only imagine Randall’s sickening embarrassment at needing to testify at the trial.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
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Her death — sudden, severe, senseless — is sickening.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Travel from Canada was notably down compared to previous years due to strained relations between the two countries.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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In the Bronx, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez had a strained relationship, but still won the 2009 World Series together, and now sit on the same TV set regularly as analysts for MLB on FOX.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
15 Feb. 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
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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 26 Feb. 2026.
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