unctuous
adjective
unc·tu·ous ˈəŋ(k)-chə-wəs 
-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
- artificial
- backhanded
- counterfeit
- double
- double-dealing
- double-faced
- fake
- feigned
- hypocritical
- insincere
- Janus-faced
- jive [slang]
- left-handed
- lip
- mealy
- mealymouthed
- Pecksniffian
- phony
- phoney
- phony-baloney
- phoney-baloney
- pretended
- two-faced
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
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
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
Medical Definition
unctuous
adjective
unc·tu·ous ˈəŋ(k)-chə(-wə)s, ˈəŋ(k)sh-wəs
: rich in oil or fat : fatty
an unctuous pharmaceutical preparation
unctuous
adjective
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
Relevance
- fake
- double
- lip
- pretended
- hypocritical
- superficial
- strained
- insincere
- pious
- hollow
- artificial
- meaningless
- phony
- feigned
- unnatural
- backhanded
- mealy
- mealymouthed
- mechanical
- counterfeit
- phony-baloney
- false
- phoney-baloney
- phoney
- two-faced
- jive
- assumed
- affected
- double-faced
- Janus-faced
- dishonest
- claptrap
- contrived
- deceitful
- double-dealing
- empty
- glib
- sanctimonious
- forced
- untruthful
- facile
- Pecksniffian
- devious
- simulated
- left-handed
- jocular
- sham
- put-on
- bogus
- pharisaical
- facetious
- campy
- self-righteous
- simon-pure
- canting
- tongue-in-cheek
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sincere
- genuine
- artless
- heartfelt
- honest
- candid
- unfeigned
- forthright
- direct
- frank
- straightforward
- plain
- undesigning
- open
- heart-to-heart
2
as in oily
overly or insincerely flattering an unctuous appraisal of the musical talent shown by the boss's daughter Synonyms & Similar Words
- oily
- oleaginous
- sickening
- gushy
- soapy
- hagiographic
- fulsome
- abundant
- adulatory
- gushing
- demonstrative
- hagiographical
- extravagant
- lavish
- cloying
- effusive
- sanctimonious
- drooling
- artificial
- slobbering
- ingratiating
- hypocritical
- insincere
- slavering
- uninhibited
- winning
- mushy
- copious
- profuse
- backhanded
- endearing
- feigned
- unreserved
- two-faced
- winsome
- mealymouthed
- unrestrained
- disarming
- unrestrained
- left-handed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- artless
- earnest
- unpretentious
- sincere
- genuine
- heartfelt
- honest
- unaffected
- true
- unfeigned
- ingenuous
- unpretending