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Words / U / General

unctuous

adjective/ˈʌŋktjʊəs/

C1CEFR level
65/100Rarity: rare
FormalRegister

Excessively and insincerely flattering or ingratiating.

The unctuous salesman praised her taste while quietly overcharging her.

Similar: oily, fawning, ingratiating

Origin: From Latin unctuosus 'greasy', from unguere 'to anoint'.

Topic: flattery in General English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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