oily

[ oi-lee ]

/ ˈɔɪ li /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for oily on Thesaurus.com

adjective, oil·i·er, oil·i·est.

smeared or covered with oil; greasy: an oily road surface.

of the nature of, consisting of, or resembling oil.

of or relating to oil.

full of or containing oil.

smooth or unctuous, as in manner or speech: an oily hypocrite.

adverb

in an oily manner.

OTHER WORDS FOR oily

5 fawning, smarmy, bootlicking.

See synonyms for oily on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of oily

First recorded in 1520–30; oil + -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM oily

oil·i·ness, nounnon·oil·y, adjectiveun·oil·y, adjective

How to use oily in a sentence

The sole symptom is an unnatural oiliness, variable as to degree.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin|Henry Weightman Stelwagon
A very obese man was he, my boy, with certain sweet-oiliness of manner, and never out of patients.
The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers. Series 1|Robert H. Newell
Powdered French chalk may be rubbed into delicate silk and wool, where there is a grease spot, or an oiliness from the skin.
Foods and Household Management|Helen Kinne
“Thank you, Mr. Steward, for looking us up,” the Jew took up the idea with insulting oiliness.
Michael, Brother of Jerry|Jack London

And as he gradually began to lose fat, and to dwell upon gunnery, we found his oiliness most useful to prevent corrosion.
The Maid of Sker|Richard Doddridge Blackmore

British Dictionary definitions for oily

oily

/ (ˈɔɪlɪ) /

adjective oilier or oiliest

soaked in or smeared with oil or grease

consisting of, containing, or resembling oil

flatteringly servile or obsequious

Derived forms of oily

oilily, adverboiliness, 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

oily

OTHER WORDS FOR oily

Origin of oily

OTHER WORDS FROM oily

Words related to oily

How to use oily in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oily

Derived forms of oily