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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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of unctuous
Needs a few years to better harmonize into a more unctuous delight.
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Tom Mullen, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
And as unctuous as the IBA proved to be, their leaders made a fair point about IOC grift that has remained a stain on the Olympic movement: why, exactly, do members receive five-star accommodation and ludicrous per diems while many athletes struggle to survive?
—Sean Gregory / Paris, TIME, 11 Aug. 2024
Remember that when spraying down your pasty, white offspring, as most of us could do without the piquant afterglow from inhaling that unctuous, SPF-100 mist.
—Steve Cambria, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2024
At first, this felt alien to me, and that’s because I’m used to thick, unctuous lip balms packed with ingredients like petrolatum, which lock in moisture but don’t do much else.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for unctuous 
Tom Mullen, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
And as unctuous as the IBA proved to be, their leaders made a fair point about IOC grift that has remained a stain on the Olympic movement: why, exactly, do members receive five-star accommodation and ludicrous per diems while many athletes struggle to survive?
—Sean Gregory / Paris, TIME, 11 Aug. 2024
Remember that when spraying down your pasty, white offspring, as most of us could do without the piquant afterglow from inhaling that unctuous, SPF-100 mist.
—Steve Cambria, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2024
At first, this felt alien to me, and that’s because I’m used to thick, unctuous lip balms packed with ingredients like petrolatum, which lock in moisture but don’t do much else.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for unctuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuous
Adjective
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In 2017, then State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman indicted Newman on 58 counts, following a two-year investigation nicknamed Operation Vandelay Industries, a nod to George Costanza’s fake latex company on Seinfeld.Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 25 Dec. 2024
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Not a temporary tattoo or a fake one to trick people online.Amanda Rosa, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Its long-wearing formula is ideal for oily skin and helps reduce unwanted shine.Jessica Copeland, Rolling Stone, 16 Dec. 2024
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Whalers once thought this oily liquid was sperm, hence the name sperm whale.Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Here’s who reimagined the character as a clever but underestimated woman Sept. 5, 2024 Bates has particularly relished the opportunity to play the double life of her character, who is constantly three steps ahead of those around her.Max Gao, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
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Get The Recipe 02 of 21 Fried Chicken Wings This dish uses the classic double dredge method that is so tried and true for many Southern cooks.Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2024
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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While lip reading is commonly used as a way for those with hearing disabilities to understand speech and conversations, it’s also called upon for legal matters and police investigations.Emily Holgate, refinery29.com, 19 Jan. 2024
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Also, lip skin is thinner, making blood vessels more apparent.Scott LaFee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024
Adjective
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Los Angeles County is suing the owner of Chiquita Canyon Landfill for failing to control a high-temperature chemical reaction that is cooking garbage and sickening nearby residents.Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
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And to sit up there, man, and to be just blatantly hypocritical is funny and sickening at the same time.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This means focusing on clear expectations, meaningful work and genuine connections rather than superficial engagement initiatives like culture surveys that don’t result in any positive change.Cynthia Pong, JD, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
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The tribute left social media users divided, with some criticizing Stamos’ gesture as superficial.Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 19 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Zuckerberg and Trump have had a strained relationship in recent years.Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
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Jansson started 37 games for Leeds but his relationship with Marcelo Bielsa, the head coach at the time, had become strained.Jay Harris, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
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Thesaurus Entries Near unctuous
Cite this Entry
“Unctuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unctuous. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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