Unctuosity

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being excessively flattering or ingratiating, often in a way that seems insincere or oily
2. A manner marked by exaggerated smoothness and oily charm intended to gain favor
3. An overdone or affected smoothness in speech or behavior designed to please or persuade

Etymology: Before it described smooth talkers, the root of this word meant literally to smear with oil. Latin "ungere" meant "to anoint" or "to smear," and its past participle "unctus" gave Late Latin "unctuosus," meaning greasy or fatty. English "unctuous" kept that physical sense, and the Christian sense of anointing survives in "unction," as in the phrase "extreme unction." The figurative sense came from the same slipperiness. Something greasy is hard to grip and seems to slide away, and a person whose manner is oily and smooth can seem similarly evasive and insincere. "Unctuosity" is the noun formed by adding the English suffix "-ity" to "unctuous," so it names the quality of being unctuous, whether that is literal greasiness or the syrupy flattery that the sense has come to describe.

Synonyms: greasiness, oleosity, slipperiness

Antonyms: dryness, roughness