Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

unctuous

/ˈʌŋ(k)(t)ʃəwəs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.03 in modern English

Syllables
unc-tu-ous
IPA
/ˈʌŋ(k)(t)ʃəwəs/
10
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Having fat or oil present; fatty, greasy, oily.

adj

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.

adj

Of soil: soft and sticky.

adj

Of a person:

adj

Of a person:

Example Sentences

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

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *h₃engʷ-, unctuous, ūnctuōsus, ūnctum

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈʌŋ(k)(t)ʃəwəs/
  • British English: /ˈʌŋ(k)t͡ʃʊəs/

Inflected Forms

more unctuous (comparative) most unctuous (superlative)

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce unctuous?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈʌŋ(k)(t)ʃəwəs/.
What does unctuous mean?
Having the nature or properties of an unguent or ointment; greasy, oily.
Where does unctuous come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce unctuous

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “unctuous”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈʌŋ(k)(t)ʃəwəs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “unctuous”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “unctuous” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.