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
There is nothing unctuous about the clear, aromatic broth.
—
Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026
One of the highlights is the bread cart rolled out at the beginning of the meal, right after the waiter shaves off a roll of unctuous French butter from a huge golden mound.
—Penny E Schwartz, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
Spooned over the top is a clam and cream sauce with bits of crispy guanciale strewn throughout for an unctuous, salty backbone.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The bun was buttery and slightly sweet, the pickles and mustard lended a bit of tang to the unctuous beef patties smothered in melty American cheese, and the sweet-but-slightly-spicy Sassy Sauce brought it all together without overpowering any other flavors.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 2 Mar. 2026
One of the highlights is the bread cart rolled out at the beginning of the meal, right after the waiter shaves off a roll of unctuous French butter from a huge golden mound.
—Penny E Schwartz, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
Spooned over the top is a clam and cream sauce with bits of crispy guanciale strewn throughout for an unctuous, salty backbone.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The bun was buttery and slightly sweet, the pickles and mustard lended a bit of tang to the unctuous beef patties smothered in melty American cheese, and the sweet-but-slightly-spicy Sassy Sauce brought it all together without overpowering any other flavors.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuous
Adjective
-
Prosecutors allege Burke later bought a shovel, chainsaws, a body bag, and a blue inflatable kiddie pool under a fake name online, and used the items to dismember Rivas in his garage.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
1 May 2026
-
Artificial Plants Designer Ashley Hauza says a fake ficus tree on a porch isn't going to fool anyone.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Hot water is especially helpful for greasy pans, oily dishes, or anything with hardened food residue.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
-
One of Glow Recipe’s original bestsellers, this oil-free moisturizer uses watermelon extract and plenty of antioxidants in a lightweight gel great for daily use by those with oily skin.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Player of the Week Senior pitcher Jaelynn Anthony goes 4-for-5 for Oswego with three homers, a double and seven RBIs in 14-6 win over Minooka.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
Orangewood Christian swept Deltona Trinity Christian as Tre Roach went 2-for-3 with a double, 2 runs and an RBI for the Rams (23-3), Sam Lambert had 2 hits and 2 RBI, and Addison Lambert added 2 hits, a run and an RBI.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 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
-
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
-
Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.—
Caroline Reilly,
Forbes.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
But a radioactive cloud was wafting across Europe, setting off alarms in a Swedish laboratory nearly seven hundred miles away and slowly sickening tens of thousands of people.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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That flight had twice aborted takeoff and declared an emergency due to an odor onboard that was sickening flight attendants.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Redick has had to shuffle the roster pieces around since, using the final five games of the regular season to assess his rotation options without Doncic and Reaves, who also missed 19 straight games from Christmas until February with a strained calf.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
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Earlier in the day, Charles delivered a rare address to a joint session of Congress, highlighting the second day of his four-day state visit and placing the spotlight on the strained but enduring relationship between his country and the United States.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Perhaps no father-daughter duo is cooler than Lenny and Zoë Kravitz, but that doesn't mean the rocker is immune to all the gushy feelings fatherhood brings.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Unctuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unctuous. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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