Definition

1. 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

1. smug self-serving earnestness
2. consisting of or covered with oil