unctuous
unc·tu·ous/ˈʌŋ(k)(t)ʃəwəs/adjective
unctuous is spelled U-N-C-T-U-O-U-S: 8 letters and 3 syllables (unc·tu·ous). It appears about once in every 9 million words in written English, the 91,522nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, unctuous means “Having the nature or properties of an unguent or ointment; greasy, oily” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in unctuous?
| Letters | 8: U-N-C-T-U-O-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: unc·tu·ous |
| In writing | about once in every 9 million words; the 91,522nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is unctuous?
Unctuous appears about once in every 9 million words in written English, the 91,522nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce unctuous?
- UK /ˈʌŋ(k)t͡ʃʊəs/
- UK /-tjʊəs/
- US /ˈʌŋ(k)(t)ʃəwəs/
Unctuous has 3 syllables, split unc·tu·ous in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-unctuous.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of unctuous
- more unctuous comparative
- most unctuous superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does unctuous mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having the nature or properties of an unguent or ointment; greasy, oily.
- 2
Having fat or oil present; fatty, greasy, oily.
- 3
Of an aroma or taste, or a beverage (such as coffee or wine) or food (such as gravy, meat, or sauce): having layers of concentrated, velvety flavour; lush, rich.
- 4
Of soil: soft and sticky.
- 5
Complacent, self-satisfied, smug.
- 6
Profusely polite, especially in an insincere and unpleasant manner.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Unctuous in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | onctueux , patelin, doucereux, mielleux |
| German | ölig, schmierig |
| Portuguese | untuoso , melífluo |
| Spanish | untuoso |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does unctuous come from?
From Late Middle English unctuous [and other forms], borrowed from Medieval Latin ūnctuōsus (“greasy, oily, unctuous”), from Latin ūnctum (“ointment; rich banquet; rich savoury dish”) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of; overly’ forming adjectives from nouns). Ūnctum is a noun use of the perfect passive participle of unguō (“to anoint; to smear with oil, to grease or oil”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃engʷ- (“to anoint; to smear”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).