greasy
Americanadjective
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greasier,
comparative
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greasiest
superlative
adjective
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coated or soiled with or as if with grease
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composed of or full of grease
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resembling grease
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unctuous or oily in manner
noun
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a shearer
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an outback cook, esp cooking for a number of men
Pronunciation
greasy is almost always pronounced as , with a medial , in the South Midland and Southern U.S. and as , with a medial , in New England, New York State, and the Great Lakes Basin. Speakers of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania are divided, with some using and some using . Standard British English reflects both and pronunciations and British folk speech is also divided regionally, with heard in the eastern counties and in the central and western ones. Both pronunciations were brought to the colonies, where the present U.S. pattern emerged.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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greasinessnoun
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overgreasinessnoun
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nongreasyadjective
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overgreasyadjective
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ungreasyadjective
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greasilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of greasy
First recorded in 1505–15
Explanation
Greasy things are oily and slick, like those delicious greasy fries you eat at the state fair, and the greasy fingers you lick clean. Anything that contains or is covered with slippery fat is greasy, whether it's fried dough or a car's engine. Things that look oily, like your brother's unwashed hair, are also greasy. Both grease and greasy come from a Latin root meaning "fat." A "greasy spoon" is a small, inexpensive restaurant or diner, named for the fact that many foods in such a place tend to be fried in oil or other fats.
Vocabulary lists containing greasy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
At the new Shanghai store Super Zhuanzhuan, shoppers have to wear black gloves to avoid their greasy fingers touching the products.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026
In decades past, some greasy label dude would probably tell them to go write a real hit next.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Misty loved to run in the mud and swamps, but on this occasion, she came back "covered in a sort of greasy orange film".
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Those distinct layers of chilled dough and butter are what create puff pastry’s dramatic height, so if the sheet begins to feel limp or greasy, return it to the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
I decided I should, and my hand was on the greasy brass door handle when I saw the name of the place in the window: Boulder Tap.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
I suspect the oil and egg in the mayonnaise separated during cooking, contributing to greasier, squishier panko, and chicken that tasted extremely chicken-y, not in an amazing way.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2022
We have yet to see an NFT artwork that didn’t look like a gas station display for novelty sunglasses, but somehow greasier?
From Slate ● Feb. 28, 2022
To turn McDonald’s, a chain better known for supersized portions than for supercomputers, into a saltier, greasier version of Amazon.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 24, 2019
My skin is greasy – even greasier than normal – and my hair, clothes and kitchen smell of meat.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 11, 2018
When this had been overhauled the boy, fumbling in the pockets of his greasy cord jacket, fished out a greasier bundle all rolled up in newspaper.
From The Triumph of Hilary Blachland by Bertram Mitford
He noted that students sometimes spurn the healthy fare offered in school lunches and dash out after school to “buy the greasiest things you ever saw.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2017
“He was a great leader who always had the greasiest tepee door, because he was generous and was always feeding people,” she said.
From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2013
Fried broccoli rabe is locked inside some of the heaviest, greasiest batter I’ve ever tasted.
From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2013
Friday’s with the rest of the sparkly rabble and ate the world’s greasiest quesadilla while watching the merrymakers stream by on the way to the after-party.
From Salon ● Jan. 2, 2013
It’s a puzzle why we binge on the sweetest and greasiest food we can find, until we consider the eating habits of our forager forebears.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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