unctuous
excessively flattering or earnest in a way that feels insincere
Word origin: From Latin unguere, to anoint or smear with oil.
Unctuous in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing unctuous in a sentence.
The salesman's unctuous compliments made the customers uneasy rather than flattered.
The salesman's unctuous compliments grew so excessive that the buyers began to distrust everything he said.
Using “unctuous” well
Unctuous means excessively flattering or earnest in a way that feels insincere, conveying an oily smarminess. It is the opposite of sincere or genuine, and its literal sense is greasy or oily.
More GRE words starting with U
seeming to be present everywhere at the same time
to howl or wail loudly, especially in grief or celebration
offense or annoyance taken at a perceived slight
complete and unqualified, without anything to diminish it
having only one possible meaning; entirely clear
complete agreement among everyone involved
impossible to attack, question, or refute
not subjected to attack or challenge
Questions about “unctuous”
See these words the way the GRE tests them.
Definitions in isolation do not stick. Sit a free, full-length GRE mock and meet this vocabulary inside real text completion and sentence equivalence questions, with your score and a worked solution for every answer.