oily

[ oi-lee ]
See synonyms for oily on Thesaurus.com
adjective,oil·i·er, oil·i·est.
  1. smeared or covered with oil; greasy: an oily road surface.

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

  1. of or relating to oil.

  2. full of or containing oil.

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

adverb
  1. in an oily manner.

Origin of oily

1
First recorded in 1520–30; oil + -y1

Other words for oily

Other words from oily

  • oil·i·ness, noun
  • non·oil·y, adjective
  • un·oil·y, adjective

Words Nearby oily

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use oily in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oily

oily

/ (ˈɔɪlɪ) /


adjectiveoilier or oiliest
  1. soaked in or smeared with oil or grease

  2. consisting of, containing, or resembling oil

  1. flatteringly servile or obsequious

Derived forms of oily

  • oilily, adverb
  • oiliness, 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