as in thick
being of a consistency that resists flow
viscous syrup that takes forever to pour from a narrow-neck bottle
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Recent Examples of viscous
Nikola Tesla’s bladeless turbine design relies on viscous drag rather than traditional blades to generate rotational motion.
—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
While heavy crude oil is what is predominantly being drilled for today, its viscous consistency and high levels of metals and sulfur mean extracting and refining this product is significantly more costly than its light crude counterpart.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
And its cheap and viscous oil proved to be the perfect blend for American oil companies, which built their entire refinery infrastructure for Venezuela’s brand of crude.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 4 Jan. 2026
At temperatures above 2,000 °F (1,093 °C), the radioactive compounds dissolve into the viscous glass, locking each element into a stable atomic matrix.
—New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for viscous
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
While heavy crude oil is what is predominantly being drilled for today, its viscous consistency and high levels of metals and sulfur mean extracting and refining this product is significantly more costly than its light crude counterpart.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
And its cheap and viscous oil proved to be the perfect blend for American oil companies, which built their entire refinery infrastructure for Venezuela’s brand of crude.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 4 Jan. 2026
At temperatures above 2,000 °F (1,093 °C), the radioactive compounds dissolve into the viscous glass, locking each element into a stable atomic matrix.
—New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for viscous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for viscous
Adjective
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Often called the Butterfly Nebula or the Bug Nebula, this object displays a striking structure involving two bright gas lobes extending in opposite directions, separated by a thick, dusty ring—known as a torus—around the central star.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
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Remove thick, dense piles of wet and matted leaves, or consider gently fluffing them up with a rake.—
Heather Zidack,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When slicked with oil over high heat, the morsels crisp into a textural marvel, jumping a long way from their original sticky form.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Mar. 2026
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Brewing economic conditions suggest, however, that when Warsh takes office, presumably in May, central bank policymakers could be facing both a wobbly jobs picture and sticky inflation made worse by spiraling energy prices.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Viscous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/viscous. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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