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
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
Those suspects include the bartender (Gabrielle Ryan), a sad sack of a man on a blind date (Reed Diamond), an imperious hostess (Sarah McCormack), and an unctuous, boozy piano player (Ed Weeks).
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
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
Those suspects include the bartender (Gabrielle Ryan), a sad sack of a man on a blind date (Reed Diamond), an imperious hostess (Sarah McCormack), and an unctuous, boozy piano player (Ed Weeks).
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuous
Adjective
-
The Federal Trade Commission issued an alert earlier in 2025 to encourage parents to talk to their children about the risks associated with responding to a fake text.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
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To make Reen feel comfortable and truly welcomed, Long’s entire extended family wore fake tattoo sleeves to the reunion.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The lightweight moisturizer with SPF 50 protection leaves a gorgeous glow and no white cast on my combination, oily skin.—
Sarah Y. Wu,
Glamour,
3 Sep. 2025
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The researchers also noted a significant reduction in sebum— an oily substance that contributes to acne—of more than 40 percent by day seven.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
With Ella Toone or Park in the No 10 role, the former Bayern Munich player will add balance in a double pivot alongside Hinata Miyazawa allowing United more control in midfield.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The Royals’ defense erased a potential rally in the fourth inning after Cameron surrendered a double to Rengifo and walked first baseman Oswald Peraza.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 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
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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
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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
-
One newspaper here calling the summit, sickening, shameful, and, in the end, useless.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Aug. 2025
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The practice is one of a sickening array of battlefield mistreatments recorded on video either by Ukrainian surveillance drones or Russian servicemen and then circulated on social media.—
Andrew Carey,
CNN Money,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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Strong applications are not built on superficial prestige or last-minute resume padding.—
Liz Doe Stone,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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See, this is the problem with our superficial Instagram culture.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Though the former couple remained close in the years after their separation, their relationship allegedly became strained when Simon stopped paying for their children’s school and medical fees following a change on his tax return.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
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In contrast to Bella’s strained relationship with Coverley, her bond with her father was effortless.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unctuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unctuous. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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