oily.

1. Containing or covered with oil, or resembling its slick texture or sheen.

2. Smooth and flattering in an insincere or unpleasant way.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• an oily film
• an oily sheen
• oily skin

On the page

An oily sheen spread across the water beside the damaged engine.

Usage notes

Primary category: sensory / description. Forms: Comparative oilier; superlative oiliest. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description. Commonness: moderately common.