unctuous

adjective
UK: /ˈʌŋktʃuəs/
US: /ˈʌŋktʃʃuəs/

  1. Trying too hard to please someone in a way that does not seem sincere.

    1. He's an unctuous salesman trying to get my money.
    2. The unctuous waiter made us uncomfortable with his phony compliments about our clothes.

  2. Excessively flattering or ingratiating; oily.

    1. His unctuous tone made me distrust everything he said.
    2. I found the politician's unctuous behavior quite repulsive during the debate last night.

Synonyms

obsequious ingratiating servile oily fawning sycophantic smarmy

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "unctuous" in English means: Trying too hard to please someone in a way that does not seem sincere., Excessively flattering or ingratiating; oily..

The phonetic transcription of "unctuous" is /ˈʌŋktʃuəs/ in British English and /ˈʌŋktʃʃuəs/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "unctuous": obsequious, ingratiating, servile, oily, fawning, sycophantic, smarmy.

Example usage of "unctuous": "He's an unctuous salesman trying to get my money.". More examples on the page.