as in oily
overly or insincerely flattering
the office manager greeted the corporate bigwigs with an oleaginous welcome that should have embarrassed him
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Recent Examples of oleaginous
One defense, beginning in the late eighteen-hundreds, was flypaper, sheets of which were coated on one side with an oleaginous substance that lured flies, then permanently trapped them.
—
David Owen, The New Yorker, 27 July 2024
At any moment, the noodles might dissolve, the cheese topping burn, the dish collapse into a soggy, oleaginous mess.
—Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023
The interludes make for juicy lampoons of that unfortunate Western export, oleaginous showbiz faux-intimacy.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 21 June 2022
The French state is represented effectively here by oleaginous High Commissioner De Roller (Magimel), a European long based in Tahiti.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 May 2022
After tapping the oleaginous Gaetz, Biden said that crude from the Florida congressman could start flowing throughout the United States by the end of the week.
—Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2021
The same goes for the oleaginous Uriah Heep (Ben Whishaw), the legal clerk who can worm into people’s brains, as if into their guts, with his show of humility.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2020
And there is the womanizing Mr. Mantalini, whose gift for oleaginous flattery always persuades his long-suffering wife to take him back.
—Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2020
Eggplant sponges up so much olive oil in the traditional caponata recipe that the end result often is a caponata that is cloyingly oleaginous.
—Bill St. John, The Denver Post, 26 June 2019
David Owen, The New Yorker, 27 July 2024
At any moment, the noodles might dissolve, the cheese topping burn, the dish collapse into a soggy, oleaginous mess.
—Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023
The interludes make for juicy lampoons of that unfortunate Western export, oleaginous showbiz faux-intimacy.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 21 June 2022
The French state is represented effectively here by oleaginous High Commissioner De Roller (Magimel), a European long based in Tahiti.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 May 2022
After tapping the oleaginous Gaetz, Biden said that crude from the Florida congressman could start flowing throughout the United States by the end of the week.
—Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2021
The same goes for the oleaginous Uriah Heep (Ben Whishaw), the legal clerk who can worm into people’s brains, as if into their guts, with his show of humility.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2020
And there is the womanizing Mr. Mantalini, whose gift for oleaginous flattery always persuades his long-suffering wife to take him back.
—Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2020
Eggplant sponges up so much olive oil in the traditional caponata recipe that the end result often is a caponata that is cloyingly oleaginous.
—Bill St. John, The Denver Post, 26 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oleaginous
Adjective
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Lastly, rely on a featherweight veil of setting powder strategically placed to the T-zone and oily areas to control excess shine then mist on a dose of setting spray.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
10 Jan. 2025
-
This top pick from our moisturizer for oily skin story soothed my irritated skin and helped transform it for the better.—
Cecily McAndrews,
Health,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The pickled mustard seeds provide little pears of flavor and an edge of acid that cuts through the unctuous dish.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
30 Dec. 2024
-
Pasta sauces are unctuous, and the tiramisu made my lactose-intolerant dining companion giddy.—
Kendyl Kearly,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
While the American food supply is among the safest in the world, the Food and Drug Administration estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually – the equivalent of sickening 1 in 6 Americans each year.—
Jennie Key,
The Enquirer,
27 Dec. 2024
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Los Angeles County is suing the owner of Chiquita Canyon Landfill for failing to control a high-temperature chemical reaction that is cooking garbage and sickening nearby residents.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Recording a song for the hagiographic Ronald Reagan movie but not his own biopic?—
Chris Stanton,
Vulture,
25 Dec. 2024
-
Andrew Stevens pays loving but not hagiographic tribute to his late mother, famed actress Stella Stevens, in his documentary recently showcased at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.—
Frank Scheck,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Adjective
-
There is just cause for the soapier parts: Manet was married, and Morisot wed his brother.—
Julie Belcove,
Robb Report,
23 Nov. 2024
-
The group that seems to have inspired Reid is Fleetwood Mac, which, with its shifting intramural love relationships, sundry drug problems and issues of control — the soapiest of rock’s many operas — was a romance novel/miniseries waiting to happen.—
Robert LloydTelevision Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2023
Adjective
-
The cruel irony is that water is currently abundant in Los Angeles.—
Chloe Sorvino,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
-
At the heart of the case against seed oils are concerns about the omega-6 fatty acids that are abundant in them.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The chatter has only grown in recent days, after Ms. Anderson — who just celebrated a birthday — posted a story on her Instagram account, showing a lavish bouquet of flowers and a gushy card from an admirer.—
Jesse McKinley,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2024
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There’s no better time to embrace the mushy gushy than in the first few moments after winning gold medals together.—
Meg Linehan,
The Athletic,
10 Aug. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near oleaginous
Cite this Entry
“Oleaginous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oleaginous. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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