lubricate
Americanverb (used with object)
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lubricates,
present (3rd person singular)
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lubricated,
past participle, past
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lubricating
present participle
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to apply some oily or greasy substance to (a machine, parts of a mechanism, etc.) in order to diminish friction; oil or grease (something).
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to make slippery or smooth; apply a lubricant to.
to lubricate one's hands with a lotion.
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to smooth over, as a difficulty or human relationship; ease.
to lubricate the friction between enemies.
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Slang. to provide with intoxicating drinks.
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Slang. to bribe.
verb (used without object)
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lubricates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lubricated,
past participle, past
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lubricating
present participle
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to act as a lubricant.
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to apply a lubricant to something.
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Slang. to drink or become drunk.
verb
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(tr) to cover or treat with an oily or greasy substance so as to lessen friction
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(tr) to make greasy, slippery, or smooth
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(intr) to act as a lubricant
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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lubricationnoun
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overlubricationnoun
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relubricationnoun
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self-lubricationnoun
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overlubricateverb (used with object)
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relubricateverb (used with object)
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lubricationaladjective
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lubricativeadjective
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lubricatoryadjective
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nonlubricatingadjective
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self-lubricatedadjective
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self-lubricatingadjective
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unlubricatedadjective
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unlubricatingadjective
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unlubricativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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lubricatesimple
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lubricatessimple
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have lubricatedperfect
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has lubricatedperfect
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am lubricatingprogressive
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are lubricatingprogressive
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is lubricatingprogressive
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have been lubricatingperfect progressive
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has been lubricatingperfect progressive
Past
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lubricatedsimple
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had lubricatedperfect
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was lubricatingprogressive
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were lubricatingprogressive
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had been lubricatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of lubricate
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin lūbricātus, past participle of lūbricāre “to make slippery.” See lubric, -ate 1
Explanation
When you lubricate something, you make it a little bit greasy so it can easily move or slide. You might need to lubricate a rusted bolt in order to unscrew it, for example. Mechanics who work on cars need to lubricate engine parts all the time, to remove old ones and attach new ones. Oil is commonly used to lubricate metal surfaces so they don't stick against each other. All different kinds of machines and engines — from jumbo jets to sewing machines — need to be lubricated in order to work properly. The Latin root word is lubricatus, "to make slippery or smooth," from lubricus, or "slippery."
Vocabulary lists containing lubricate
The Cay
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 6
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Elephant Run
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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:
A thick liquid known as synovial fluid also helps lubricate your knees, hips and shoulders.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Ohtani hasn’t pitched in nearly a month, despite receiving an Orthovisc injection to lubricate the joint.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Drilling fluid is a liquid used to cool and lubricate equipment during drilling.
From Barron's ● Jan. 6, 2026
These days, of course, pesky things like WhatsApp rather lubricate the friction of distance of folk being in different places.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2024
Girls were beginning to bob their hair and boys to lubricate theirs.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
One key defense against this process: a network of de-watering wells, which pump out the water that lubricates the soil’s clay layers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
Butter also lubricates your mouth, which tends to compliment the dish's natural astringency.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2024
The fluid lubricates faults, resulting in slow slips that produce small earthquakes.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 8, 2024
Most of it is absorbed by our cells; the rest lubricates muscles and tissues and generates saliva.
From National Geographic ● Sep. 14, 2023
Whatever it is that lubricates joints I think must be in low supply now, because every moving part aches.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
This slippery coating is essential for keeping the colon lubricated and stool soft.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 19, 2026
The process is being lubricated by the biggest jump in European military spending since the Cold War.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
Armies of commentators, reporters and photographers were hauled off to the 49th state expecting a vintage Trump performance, of the sort that has lubricated their industry for an entire decade.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2025
With the lubricated ground shifting, at times, nine to 12 inches a week, utility companies shut off electricity, gas and internet for hundreds of homes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2025
Beowulf helpfully lubricated the hinges with a bit of drool; after a “heave, ho!” from Simon and a final twist to the knob, the door creaked open.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Investigators linked the tanker to 2.6 million gallons of Texas diesel falsely labeled as lubricating oil additives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Nothing was felt at the surface, and Giardini stressed that by lubricating an existing fault, the team was adding only "about one percent of what is the natural risk".
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
"After lubricating the outer walls of the drain eventually we could get the hedgehog out."
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
The lubricating coating used in the study is based on lipid bilayers, structures commonly found in the membranes of living cells.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 9, 2026
When Reynolds was gone, he gave Nailer an oiling can and spray applicator that Nailer strapped to his back, and then Knot put Nailer to work lubricating the gearing systems that extended the hydrofoils.
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
