A to Z Challenge 2013

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

U is for Unctuous

Today's word is another great writer's word.  It's Unctuous and it means:

slimy, oily, greasy;  offensively suave and smug

The reason this is such a great word is because you can use it to aptly describe a villainous character (or even just one you want to be fairly annoying).  Every time I think of this word, I imagine a politician or lawyer.  Yeah, I am a bit cynical when it comes to those professions.

When I first saw this word though, I mistakenly thought it was referring to a foul odor.  I don't know why, but even now when I look at it, I can see how I could mistake it.  It just looks like it could mean something stinky (and the real definition isn't that far off).

What's your take on this word?

4 comments:

Jeremy Bates said...

When I think of unctuous I immediately think of some disheveled panhandler trying to shake me down for a buck on the subway.

PK HREZO said...

Definitely an underused word, but a good one. I shall have to fit it into my vocabulary more often.
Thanks for schooling me in the ways of Vader. ;)I have now realized my error in how shallowly I grazed the surface of his complexity. hee hee. :D

Rick Daley said...

Makes me think of someone ornery and hyper, maybe because of the phonetic similarity to rambunctious?

Eric said...

Jeremy - Oooh, good example for this word. Nicely done.

PK - Sorry if I ruffled your feathers LOL. It was truly only meant as a good-natured tease, and I love Star Wars so much that I couldn't resist. This is a good word though, huh?

Rick - Hmm, that actually makes a lot of sense. Funny that their meanings aren't closer.