oily

[oi-lee]

See more 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.

Origin of oily

First recorded in 1520–30; oil + -y¹

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

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

5. fawning, smarmy, bootlicking.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for oily

Contemporary Examples

It is oily, dark and almost rotten tasting, but it did not make me unwell.
Tales of a Jailhouse Gourmet: How I learned to Cook in Prison
Daniel Genis
June 21, 2014
The meat glistened seductively with melted butter, piled high and steaming on top of a crisp, oily split-top bun.
My Big, Buttery Lobster Roll Rumble: We Came, We Clawed, We Conquered
Scott Bixby
June 7, 2014
In the lean rainy season, the women switched out meat and oily sauces for vegetables.
How Famines Make Future Generations Fat
Carrie Arnold
May 11, 2014
I always thought Ari Fleischer and Lanny Davis (two of the “experts” advising Snyder on PR) were oily.
Dan Snyder’s Trail of Crocodile Tears
Michael Tomasky
March 28, 2014
Oily, breakable touchscreens are largely a thing of the past.
How ‘Her’ Gets the Future Right
Andrew Romano
December 21, 2013

Historical Examples

He was not rude in words, but oh, so different from the oily people who sold me the things.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
If you set it on hot coals, or over the fire, it will be oily.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
"Oh, you have plenty of time," answered an oily and heavy voice.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
My smouldering jealousy of the oily von Kufner now flamed into expression.
City of Endless Night
Milo Hastings
No, a fireman's not so oily and is more cindery—then we'll know one by his cap.
The Cruise of the Dry Dock
T. S. Stribling

British Dictionary definitions for oily

oily

adjective oilier or oiliest

soaked in or smeared with oil or grease
consisting of, containing, or resembling oil
flatteringly servile or obsequious

Derived Formsoilily, 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

Word Origin and History for oily

adj.

1520s, from oil (n.) + -y (2). Figurative meaning "smooth, unctuous" is from 1590s. Related: Oiliness.

oily

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}oily

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for oily

Contemporary Examples

It is oily, dark and almost rotten tasting, but it did not make me unwell.

The meat glistened seductively with melted butter, piled high and steaming on top of a crisp, oily split-top bun.

In the lean rainy season, the women switched out meat and oily sauces for vegetables.

I always thought Ari Fleischer and Lanny Davis (two of the “experts” advising Snyder on PR) were oily.

Oily, breakable touchscreens are largely a thing of the past.

Historical Examples

He was not rude in words, but oh, so different from the oily people who sold me the things.

If you set it on hot coals, or over the fire, it will be oily.

"Oh, you have plenty of time," answered an oily and heavy voice.

My smouldering jealousy of the oily von Kufner now flamed into expression.

No, a fireman's not so oily and is more cindery—then we'll know one by his cap.

oily

Word Origin and History for oily

adj.

Origin of oily