oiliness
/'ɔilinis/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The quality of being oily; greasiness or unctuousness: The physical property of containing oil, being covered with oil, or having a slick, greasy texture or appearance.
- Exaggerated and insincere earnestness; fawning or smarmy behavior: A manner that is excessively smooth, flattering, or ingratiating, often to gain favor.
Examples
- Physical Property:
- The oiliness of the fried food made it difficult to handle.
- He wiped the oiliness from the engine parts with a rag.
- Behavioral Quality:
- The salesman's oiliness made the customers distrust him immediately.
- Her compliments were delivered with an unpleasant oiliness.
Advanced Usage
- "to have an oiliness about one": to possess a character or manner that is unpleasantly smooth and insincere.
- The politician had an oiliness about him that many voters found off-putting.
Variants and Related Words
- Oily (adj): having the nature or qualities of oil; greasy; or, marked by an offensively smooth and ingratiating manner.
- The mechanic's hands were oily.
- He gave an oily smile.
- Unctuousness (n): (a close synonym for the behavioral sense) the quality of being excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oiliness.
Synonyms
- Greasiness: (for the physical sense) the state of being greasy or oily.
- Smarminess: (for the behavioral sense) excessive, ingratiating flattery.
- Fulsomeness: (for the behavioral sense) offensive from excess of praise or flattery.
Related Phrases
- An oily manner: A way of behaving that is slick and insincere.
- He assured us with an oily manner that everything was under control.
Noun
- smug self-serving earnestness
- consisting of or covered with oil