1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

unctuousness

noun

1
as in smoothness

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in suaveness

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unctuousness Bad mini cones are made with soggy cones and sweet, fluffy filling that has none of the unctuousness of real ice cream. — Jolene Thym, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuousness
  1. smoothness
  2. urbanity
  3. oiliness
  4. elegance
  5. glibness
  6. manners
  7. artificiality
  8. gentlemanliness
Noun
  • This will reveal how customers feel about your brand, their preferred communication methods and the smoothness of their customer experience.
    — Natalie Ruiz, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • That harmony makes all the difference—Cygnet 22 delivers a martini with remarkable smoothness, depth, and elegance that is difficult to match.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of smoothness
Noun
  • His music is, in the best sense, grown-up, proof that a gifted songwriter can tackle the headiest, heaviest topics, compressing a novel’s worth of ideas, intelligence, irony, urbanity, humor and ambivalence into four minutes.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Catherine’s house doesn’t evoke Hyde Park brownstones, or even urbanity, so much as some generic Midwest vista, which is not right for this play.
    — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of urbanity
Noun
  • Common concerns tend to be acne, post-acne marks, oiliness and keeping hair and nails healthy.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Common concerns in this decade tend to include acne, post-acne marks, oiliness and keeping hair and nails healthy.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of oiliness
Noun
  • The rooms Nestled on 20 acres of private woodlands, the eight-room inn carries a timeless elegance, with design features like stone patios, hidden gardens, and exposed 18th-century beams cutting through various rooms.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Federer, whose single-handed backhand is part of the reason he is viewed as the epitome of tennis elegance, has become an unofficial spokesperson for the shot.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of elegance
Noun
  • Advertisement Still, Trump’s apparent glibness comes as the Republican Party faces what could be challenging midterm elections, as the economy and affordability remain top concerns for voters.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 11 June 2026
Definition of glibness
Noun
  • The desire to fit in is a powerful instinct, one that is externalized to varying degrees in our manners and relationships.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • For players, the distinction between atmosphere and interference can be more than a matter of manners.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of manners
Noun
  • Still, an air of artificiality and sometimes theatricality does pervade his talky, often didactic scenes, which actually plays to the benefit of the performances — especially from Huston.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026
  • And anyone who has read even a little of Cusk’s previous work will recognize that these concerns map suspiciously closely to Cusk’s own preoccupations with artificiality.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of artificiality
Noun
  • Their answer came in the form of Colby Donaldson, the Texan mama’s boy who performed rugged gentlemanliness.
    — Shaan Merchant, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026
Definition of gentlemanliness

Browse Nearby Words

unctuously
unctuousness
uncultivable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unctuousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unctuousness. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of facsimile

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All