UNCTUOUS

buttery, fulsome, oily, oleaginous, smarmy, soapy, unctuous

(adjective) unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech; “buttery praise”; “gave him a fulsome introduction”; “an oily sycophantic press agent”; “oleaginous hypocrisy”; “smarmy self-importance”; “the unctuous Uriah Heep”; “soapy compliments”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

unctuous (comparative more unctuous, superlative most unctuous)

(of a liquid or substance) Oily or greasy.

(of a wine, coffee, sauce, gravy etc.) Rich, lush, intense, with layers of concentrated, soft, velvety flavor.

(by extension, of a person) Profusely polite, especially unpleasantly so and insincerely earnest.

Synonyms

• (of a liquid): oleaginous, saponaceous, slimy; see also unctuous

• (of wine, coffee, sauce, gravy etc.): savorous

• (profusely, especially unpleasantly, polite): creepy, effusive, groveling, oleaginous, slimy, sycophantic; see also sycophantic

Source: Wiktionary


Unc"tu*ous, a. Etym: [F. onctueux, LL. unctuosus, fr. L. unctus anointment, fr. ungere, unctum, to anoint. See Unguent.]

1. Of the nature or quality of an unguent or ointment; fatty; oily; greasy. "The unctuous cheese." Longfellow.

2. Having a smooth, greasy feel, as certain minerals.

3. Bland; suave; also, tender; fervid; as, an unctuous speech; sometimes, insincerely suave or fervid.

– Unc"tu*ous*ly, adv.

– Unc"tu*ous*ness, n.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

25 February 2025

ENDLESSLY

(adverb) (spatial sense) seeming to have no bounds; “the Nubian desert stretched out before them endlessly”


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Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

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