oily — ozdic

Definitions

adj

1

Covered with or containing oil.

oily machinery; oily rags; oily fish; oily cooking

His clothes were apt to look oily and smell of eating-houses.

2

Resembling oil.

oily swells; oily seas

There were no breakers and no waves, for not a breath of wind was stirring. Only a slight oily swell rose and fell like a gentle breathing, and showed that the eternal sea was still moving and living.

3

Excessively friendly or polite but insincere.

Near-synonyms: slick, buttery; smarmy

[…] for I want that glib and oyly Art, To ſpeake and purpoſe not, ſince what I well entend Ile do’t before I ſpeake, […]

noun

1

A marble with an oily lustre.

Lustered (also called lusters, rainbows, oilies, and pearls).

But marbles are not only used to play games: they are also traded. In this market, the value of the different kinds of marbles (oilies, emperors, etc.) is determined by local supply and demand and not by the price of the marbles […]

2

Oilskins. (waterproof garment)

Collocations

5

1

(adj.)

VERBS

be, look

become

ADV

very

rather, slightly

Her hair looked slightly oily after she went to the gym without washing it.

naturally

Some people's hair is naturally oily, so they need to wash it more frequently.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

adjective — smeared or soiled with grease or oil

greasy

adjective — containing an unusual amount of grease or oil

adjective — unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

smell of an oily rag

A very small amount, or the absolute minimum (usually of money).

We have found them in the remote corners of Asia Minor, sans souliers, sans culottes, often in rags, living on the smell of an oily rag or a raw onion, trying their best to preserv

Example Bank

6

01

oily machinery; oily rags; oily fish; oily cooking

Wiktionary

02

His clothes were apt to look oily and smell of eating-houses.

Wiktionary

03

[…] overdressed young men of enigmatic appearance, with oily thick hair, shifty eyes, and hands covered with cheap rings, swaggered about smoking cigarettes and talking in loud, ostentatious voices.

Wiktionary

04

Lustered (also called lusters, rainbows, oilies, and pearls).

Wiktionary

05

But marbles are not only used to play games: they are also traded. In this market, the value of the different kinds of marbles (oilies, emperors, etc.) is determined by local supply and demand and not

Wiktionary

06

My clothes have an oily smell because I ate at an okonomiyaki place.

Tatoeba · #64498

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, oily is marked as figuratively, informal. Watch for register when choosing this word.