well-oiled

American  

[wel-oild] / ˈwɛlˈɔɪld /

adjective

1. operating with efficiency.

   a well-oiled department.

2. Slang. drunk.

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well-oiled British  

adjective

1. informal (well oiled when postpositive) drunk

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Etymology

Origin of well-oiled

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

On Wall Street, Steve Feinberg had a well-oiled sales pitch for investors thinking of betting billions on his corporate turnarounds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

At ESPN, she said, it was “a very well-oiled machine that’s been very successful” for decades with “a tried and true way” of doing things.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Its ensemble is still a well-oiled machine powered by the performers’ chemistry and clear affection for each other and their characters’ tangible vulnerability.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026

My partner and my adult daughter worked together like a well-oiled machine during this trying time.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 28, 2025

The three of us were like well-oiled robots, our assembly line never veering off course: fold, stuff, seal, repeat.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas