unctuousness
Greasy false charm
Unctuousness is the quality of being excessively smooth, suave, or ingratiating in manner—often with an undertone of insincerity.
The word carries the greasy connotation of its root: unctuous originally described oily substances, and the metaphor persists.
Someone's unctuousness makes you feel you're being handled rather than genuinely addressed: His unctuousness made the sales pitch feel slimy.
Servilely attentive to superiors
- sycophanticServilely flattering
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
- ingratiatingSeeking favor through flattery
- servileExcessively submissive, lacking independence
bootlicking · toadying · groveling · adulatory · flattering · subservient · simpering · cringing
Lack of genuine feeling
- smugnessExcessive pride in oneself
- glibnessInsincere verbal ease
- phoninessQuality of being insincere
- artificialityState of being contrived
disingenuousness · sanctimoniousness · hypocrisy · pretentiousness · falseness · affectation · superficiality · smoothness
Lack of grip
- butterinessRich, fatty smoothness
- slicknessSmooth, slippery quality
- richnessState of abundance
- viscosityFluid's flow resistance
lubricity · fattiness · smoothness · glossiness · emollience · moistness · sleekness · waxiness
obsequious
Servilely attentive to superiors
- sycophanticServilely flattering
- fawningExcessive insincere flattery
- ingratiatingSeeking favor through flattery
servile · bootlicking · toadying · groveling · adulatory · flattering · subservient · simpering · cringing · oleaginous
insincerity
Lack of genuine feeling
artificiality · disingenuousness · sanctimoniousness · hypocrisy · pretentiousness · falseness · affectation · superficiality · smoothness · slickness
slipperiness
Lack of grip
- butterinessRich, fatty smoothness
- slicknessSmooth, slippery quality
- richnessState of abundance
viscosity · lubricity · fattiness · smoothness · glossiness · emollience · moistness · sleekness · waxiness · creaminess
- hypocrisyhypocrisy, hypocrite, sanctimony, two-faced, self-righteousness
- fatty texturesbutteriness
- insincerityinsincerity, phoniness, fakeness, falseness, pretense
- persuasionpersuade, persuasion, persuasive, convince, convincing
unctuousnesssincerity
Honest, unfeigned genuineness
genuineness · authenticity · candor · honesty · earnestness
unctuousnessbluntness
Frank, unvarnished manner
brusqueness · curtness · gruffness · directness · terseness
unctuousnessdignity
Innate personal worth
self-respect · unpretentiousness · modesty · independence · reserve
unctuous, oiliness, unguent, unction, greasiness, unctuously