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:
Ohtani received an orthovisc shot in his knee to lubricate the joint and relieve irritation, manager Dave Roberts said, and did not have it drained.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 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
The movie, which Tom Gustafson directed and Cory Krueckeberg wrote, weaves together various Indigo Girls songs from various eras in order to lubricate communication.
From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
Knot watched him for a moment, then said, “You should also lubricate the break valve joints for the monofilament feed.”
From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi
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
When water absorbs into the earth, it expands and lubricates the clay until it’s slippery enough for the land to ride downward with the force of gravity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 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
Instead, deep beneath the swells and swales of aluminum and carbon fiber, is the full send, the real deal: a naturally aspirated, dry-sump lubricated, 6.5-liter V12.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
This slippery coating is essential for keeping the colon lubricated and stool soft.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 19, 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
“Water projects came to epitomize the pork barrel; they were the oil can that lubricated the nation’s legislative machinery.”
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2024
They’ve fed her oils, repainted her barrel, lubricated her wheels; they’ve arranged sandbags at her feet like offerings.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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
"After lubricating the outer walls of the drain eventually we could get the hedgehog out."
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
Jubail is home to one of the world's largest industrial cities, where steel, gasoline, petrochemicals, lubricating oil and chemical fertilisers are produced.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
Each year, roughly 2.47 billion gallons of lubricating oil are consumed in the United States alone for engines and industrial machinery, according to DOE, with about half eventually finding its way into the environment.
From Science Daily ● May 2, 2024
We spent weeks at the huge Shell Haven Refinery with a special instructor who taught us all about fuel oil and diesel oil and gas oil and lubricating oil and kerosene and gasoline.
From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl
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.
