greasy

[ gree-see, ‐zee ]

See synonyms for greasy on Thesaurus.com

adjective,greas·i·er, greas·i·est.

smeared, covered, or soiled with grease.
composed of or containing grease; oily: greasy food.

greaselike in appearance or to the touch; slippery.
insinuatingly unctuous in manner; repulsively slick; oily.
Veterinary Pathology. affected with grease.

Origin of greasy

First recorded in 1505–15

pronunciation note For greasy

greasy is almost always pronounced as

[gree-zee], /ˈgri zi/, with a medial

[z], /z/, in the South Midland and Southern U.S. and as

[gree-see], /ˈgri si/, with a medial

[s], /s/, in New England, New York State, and the Great Lakes Basin. Speakers of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania are divided, with some using

[s] /s/ and some using

[z]. /z/. Standard British English reflects both

[z] /z/ and

[s] /s/ pronunciations and British folk speech is also divided regionally, with

[z] /z/ heard in the eastern counties and

[s] /s/ in the central and western ones. Both pronunciations were brought to the colonies, where the present U.S. pattern emerged.

Other words from greasy

greas·i·ly, adverb
greas·i·ness, noun
non·greas·y, adjective
o·ver·greas·i·ness, noun
o·ver·greas·y, adjective
un·greas·y, adjective

Words Nearby greasy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use greasy in a sentence

Buy on Amazon, $nullAside from being downright effective, perhaps the best part of this spray is that it doesn’t feel greasy when applied, and it smells like a candle I might find in the bathroom of a fancy hotel.
This Deet-Free Mosquito Spray Keeps Bugs From Eating Me Up | Morgan Thompson | July 23, 2021 | The Daily Beast
When the weather warms, these organisms quickly take over, giving the lake a greasy look and a foul smell.
What’s bigger than a megacity? China’s planned city clusters | Ling Xin | April 28, 2021 | MIT Technology Review
Before you wash your bike, look for greasy dirt at the slider seals or bottom of the fork legs, an indication that your suspension is leaking oil.
Maintenance That Will Prep Your Bike for Spring | Joe Lindsey | March 29, 2021 | Outside Online
An accident at the refinery coated his roof and plants with greasy oil.
The island where it rained oil | Juliet Eilperin, Darryl Fears, Salwan Georges | March 25, 2021 | Washington Post
If your hair has been more greasy than usual this year, it’s worth looking into.
The 12 best beauty and wellness products under $70 I added to my routine this year | Rachel Schallom | December 25, 2020 | Fortune

It was full of the sorts of people I used to be when I watched him on MuchMusic—bored, greasy-fingered teenagers.
Canada’s Subversive Sock Puppet: Ed the Sock Isn’t Afraid to Say Anything | Soraya Roberts | November 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Anyone telling you differently will just leave you with a greasy mouth.
Oil Pulling: Miracle Cure or Oily Mess? | DailyBurn | March 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
She tells Tim Teeman about celebrity, fighting sexism, and where she goes for a greasy burger.
Chopped? Amanda Freitag Hopes Not | Tim Teeman | February 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Like a Route 66 roadside greasy spoon, Burger Joint always hits the spot.
The Untouristy Guide to the Holidays in New York | Condé Nast Traveler | December 11, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
“Ah, the greasy grind of the press—the scribblers and scratchers, the slingers and spillers,” Morrissey writes.
Speed Read: 13 Juiciest Bits From Morrissey’s ‘Autobiography’ | Nico Hines | October 17, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Ill wager that greasy foreigner has got a wife and ten childrenand neglects them.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage | Gertrude W. Morrison
The greasy surface, dotted here and there with specks of vegetable, resembles a pool of stagnant water covered with green slime.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander Berkman
The tin glides over the greasy surface, noiselessly, smoothly, till the thick layer of filth is worn off.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander Berkman
His hair was long and tangled and greasy, and hung down, and you could see his eyes shining through like he was behind vines.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Complete | Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Then the Factor cleaned a greasy hand upon his beard, and stretched himself with a sigh of satisfaction.
Menotah | Ernest G. Henham

British Dictionary definitions for greasy

greasy

/ (ˈɡriːzɪ, -sɪ) /

adjectivegreasier or greasiest

coated or soiled with or as if with grease
composed of or full of grease

resembling grease
unctuous or oily in manner

nounplural greasies Australian slang

a shearer
an outback cook, esp cooking for a number of men

Derived forms of greasy

greasily, adverb
greasiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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