greasy

American  

[gree-see, ‑zee] / ˈgri si, ‑zi /

adjective

greasier, greasiest

1. smeared, covered, or soiled with grease.

2. composed of or containing grease; oily.

   greasy food.

3. greaselike in appearance or to the touch; slippery.

4. insinuatingly unctuous in manner; repulsively slick; oily.

5. Veterinary Pathology. affected with grease.

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greasy British  

/ -sɪ, ˈɡriːzɪ /

adjective

1. coated or soiled with or as if with grease

2. composed of or full of grease

3. resembling grease

4. unctuous or oily in manner

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noun

1. a shearer

2. 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

• greasily adverb
• greasiness noun
• nongreasy adjective
• overgreasiness noun
• overgreasy adjective
• ungreasy adjective

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.

Example Sentences

The brown, greasy, bleach-flavored clouds were taking something with them, something of the paradise spirit.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

"It's a dying trade," 61-year-old Maria Wade said of her job as a "greasy mender" at Alex Begg, a semi-rural mill that has been based in Ayr in southwest Scotland for more than a century.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

What emerges is never too heavy or too greasy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

McDonald’s hash browns have always been part of the chain’s morning identity — greasy, golden, and perfect alongside an Egg McMuffin or Sausage McGriddle.

From Salon • Aug. 10, 2025

He had a potbelly and slicked-back, greasy hair that matched his slippery ways.

From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm

Related Words

• creamy
• fatty
• slick