oily
English · Thesaurus
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oily
- /ˈɔɪli/
Rhymes with -ɔɪli
Where it comes from
From Middle English oylei, equivalent to oil + -y. Compare German ölig (“oily”), Swedish oljig (“oily”).
adjective oilier · oiliest · oyly
- Covered with or containing oil. oily machinery; oily rags; oily fish; oily cooking
- Resembling oil. oily swells; oily seas
-
Excessively friendly or polite but insincere.
Near-synonyms: slick, buttery, oleaginous, unctuous; smarmy
Similar: slick, buttery, oleaginous, unctuous, smarmy
noun oilies · oyly
- A marble with an oily lustre. Lustered (also called lusters, rainbows, oilies, and pearls).
- Oilskins. (waterproof garment)
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: oleaginous, greasy, coated, unctuous, fatty, fat, buttery, soiled, unclean, sebaceous, dirty, fulsome, smarmy, insincere, waxen, slick
Translations
Every language
adj covered with or containing oil
| Español | aceitoso, oleaginoso, oleoso |
|---|---|
| Português | oleoso, oleaginoso, oleento |
| Français | huileux |
| Deutsch | ölhaltig |
| Română | gras, uleios |
| Русский | ма́сляный másljanyj, масляни́стый masljanístyj |
| العربية | زَيْتِيّ zaytiyy, دُهْنِيّ duhniyy |
Talk about this word "oily." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/oily. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. oily. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/oily "oily." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/oily.Cite this
@misc{oily_2026,
title = {oily},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/oily},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
