TOP

Definition of unctuous adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

unctuous

adjective
 
/ˈʌŋktʃuəs/
 
/ˈʌŋktʃuəs/
(formal, disapproving)
jump to other results
  1. friendly or giving praise in a way that is not sincere and that is therefore unpleasant
    • an unctuous host
    Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘greasy’): from medieval Latin unctuosus, from Latin unctus ‘anointing’, from unguere ‘anoint’.
See unctuous in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: unctuous

Nearby words

hide-and-seek
noun
 
 
From the Topic
Games and toys
C2
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day