# unctuous

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈʌŋ(k)t͡ʃʊəs/ · frequency rank #92,190

## Definitions
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. Of a person:
6. Of a person:

## Etymology
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”).
Cognates
* Italian untuoso
* Old French onctües, unctueus, unctuose (modern French onctueux)
* Portuguese unctuoso
* Spanish untuoso

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/unctuous