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unctuous

adjective

unc·​tu·​ous ˈəŋ(k)-chə-wəs How to pronounce unctuous (audio)
-chəs,
-shwəs
1
: having, revealing, or marked by a smug, ingratiating, and false earnestness or spirituality
2
a
: fatty, oily
b
: smooth and greasy in texture or appearance
3
: plastic
fine unctuous clay
unctuously adverb
unctuousness noun

Did you know?

Is unctuous positive or negative?

Nowadays, unctuous usually has a negative connotation, but it originated as a term describing a positive act, that of healing. The word comes from the Latin verb unguere ("to anoint"), a root that also gave rise to the words unguent ("a soothing or healing salve") and ointment. The oily nature of ointments may have led to the application of unctuous to describe things marked by an artificial gloss of sentimentality. An unctuous individual may mean well, but his or her insincere earnestness can leave an unwelcome residue with others, much like some ointments.

Synonyms

Example Sentences

an unctuous effort to appear religious to the voters an unctuous appraisal of the musical talent shown by the boss's daughter
Recent Examples on the Web They were led by Wolfgang Halbig, a 67-year-old retiree who rose to prominence on an unctuous appeal for answers to 16 questions about the massacre. Amanda J. Crawford, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2022 It’s smoky and hot and adds an unctuous richness that’s intense yet magnetic. Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Aug. 2022 Butter or cream of unique quality may be more essential to French cuisine, but many an unctuous sauce withers into insipidity without mustard. New York Times, 14 July 2022 But the anchovies were beguilingly unctuous, almost creamy, with a complex but subtle flavor that the excellent miche—made with malted rye, dense and dark—threatened to overpower. Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 24 June 2022 But this is underselling the unctuous texture, and the brininess, and the strange and compelling savoriness of fish nearly transformed into something else entirely. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 13 June 2022 Then road riding seemed to lose some of its unctuous, depilated sheen. Eben Weiss, Outside Online, 2 June 2022 The soil seems to come through in the wine, which in the 2019 vintage balances a bitter, ferrous backbone with unctuous flavors of cocoa and fig. Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Apr. 2022 Last but not least, the quesabirria—unctuous cuts of beef braised all night in an intensely fragrant chile broth, which comes full circle as the dipping jus for these crispy cheesy tacos. Jackie Tran, Bon Appétit, 18 Feb. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French unctueus, from Medieval Latin unctuosus, from Latin unctus act of anointing, from unguere to anoint

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of unctuous was in the 14th century

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