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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unctuous
When coitus occurs, it’s scored by unctuous music.
—
Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
But there's an elevated simplicity in Rolf and Daughters' tangle of excellent tonnarelli, spun in an unctuous garlicky sauce, finished with sweet, tender lumps of Dungeness crab.
—Mackensy Lunsford, Nashville Tennessean, 14 July 2025
Martin studied under and is basically a Temu Alan Grant, while the unctuous Friend oozes with corporate evil.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 June 2025
The free-range pork chop from Washington’s Pure Country Farm gets more char but remains unctuous, a rarity for such a lean cut.
—Leilani Marie Labong, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unctuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unctuous
Adjective
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The board cited recent state and federal decisions, which have both noted the issue of AI programs citing fake legal citations is growing.—
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Howze, who has schizophrenia, was also able to escape the hospital following the incident, only to be return a few days later wearing a visitor’s pass with a fake name.—
Adjective
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Skin1004 Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum Say goodbye to the oily feel and white casts of sunscreen.—
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The serum’s texture is smooth and easily glides onto the skin, without leaving an oily residue.—
Adjective
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These ones elevate the trend — pun intended — with comfortable platform soles and double side stripe appliqués.—
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McDonald's has made the Big Arch — a massive double-patty burger — a permanent menu item in the United Kingdom and Ireland.—
Adjective
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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.—
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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.—
Adjective
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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.—
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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.—
Adjective
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Jin Shin has come across some monster potholes over the last couple of weeks, including one in Koreatown that rattled his car with a sickening thump and another near the airport where its depth was obscured by water.—
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Oil is a 20th century energy source, outmoded and responsible for sickening and killing millions of people with the potential to kill millions more.—
Adjective
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Paramount’s most valuable creative asset, Taylor Sheridan, quickly announced his exit after the Skydance merger was complete, citing strained relationships with the new leadership, a desire for more creative control, and disputes over projects.—
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Roasted beets pair with fresh herbs, fennel, spiced pepitas, and a swoop of strained yogurt.—
Adjective
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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.—
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The chatter has only grown in recent days, after Ms. Anderson — who just celebrated a birthday — posted a story on her Instagram account, showing a lavish bouquet of flowers and a gushy card from an admirer.—
Cite this Entry
“Unctuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unctuous. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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