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well-oiled

American

[wel-oild] / ˈwɛlˈɔɪld /

adjective

operating with efficiency.

a well-oiled department.
Slang. drunk.

well-oiled British

adjective

informal (well oiled when postpositive) drunk

"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

Etymology

Origin of well-oiled

First recorded in 1730–40

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.

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

As for the prognosis for these companies, note that at each of these well-oiled machines, succession is considered mission critical.

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

He ran a well-oiled machine, with members of his inner circle performing specific roles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

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

From MarketWatch • Oct. 28, 2025

We practiced at working together as smoothly as a well-oiled machine.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023