unctuous

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
Episode: unctuous
Date: May 30, 2026
Host: Peter Sokolowski

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the word “unctuous,” diving into its spelling, multiple meanings, historical origins, and modern usage. Host Peter Sokolowski explains how “unctuous” has shifted from a descriptor for oily substances and foods to also characterize insincere or overly flattering people.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Definition and Spelling [00:25]

• “Today’s word is unctuous, spelled U-N-C-T-U-O-U-S. Unctuous is an adjective.”
  —Peter Sokolowski (Host)

2. Modern Meaning in Food [00:28]

• In recent years, unctuous is often used to describe foods that are “fatty and oily, especially in a pleasing way.”
• Example from Soju Party: How to Drink and Eat Like a Korean by Irene Yu:
  • “They’ll cook and sizzle in their own fat, resulting in juicy, unctuous bites.”
    —[00:55], quoting Irene Yu

3. Older Meaning: Insincerity [00:37]

• Historically, unctuous was “more typically applied as a formal adjective describing someone who is figuratively oily, that is, overly or insincerely flattering.”
• Sokolowski notes that both uses remain in language today.

4. Etymology and Historical Usage [01:06]

• The word comes from Latin roots:
  “Its ultimate source is a Latin word meaning ‘to anoint, to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance.’”
  —Peter Sokolowski
• First appeared in English in the 14th century.
  • Example: “The olive fruit is bright, delicious, and unctuous.”
    —14th century, John Treviso ([01:25])

5. Current Usage and Connotations [01:40]

• The food-related sense is still “quite prominent today.”
• “Unctuous” often describes the pleasurable sensation of rich foods, as in ‘an unctuous mouthfeel.’
• In older literature (19th and 20th centuries), likely refers to a negative character trait:
  “You’re more likely to see a less pleasant application with the word describing a person or behavior that is figuratively oily, that is, overly or insincerely flattering.”

6. Memorable Moments and Quotes

• “Unctuous is a slippery word in multiple ways.” —Peter Sokolowski [01:12], playfully referencing both literal and figurative meanings.
• The concise historical summary:
  “Both uses can be found today.” —[00:37]

7. Call to Action [02:36]

• Listeners are encouraged to visit the Merriam-Webster website for additional content:
  “Visit merriamwebster.com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.”

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• [00:25] “Today’s word is unctuous, spelled U-N-C-T-U-O-U-S. Unctuous is an adjective.”
• [00:55] “They’ll cook and sizzle in their own fat, resulting in juicy, unctuous bites.” (from Irene Yu, quoted by Sokolowski)
• [01:12] “Unctuous is a slippery word in multiple ways.”
• [01:25] “The olive fruit is bright, delicious, and unctuous.” (John Treviso, 14th century, quoted by Sokolowski)
• [02:36] “Visit merriamwebster.com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.”

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Segment Timestamps

• [00:25] — Introduction, spelling, and basic definition
• [00:28 – 01:00] — Modern food-related meaning, sample usage
• [01:00 – 01:15] — Origins and etymology
• [01:16 – 01:40] — Historical and figurative use, sample from John Treviso
• [01:41 – 02:35] — Current usage, both food and personality applications
• [02:36] — Call to action

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Takeaway

The word “unctuous” has rich historical roots and dual meanings, describing both deliciously fatty foods and, less flatteringly, insincere, oily personalities. It continues to be a vivid and evocative term in English today.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[B]

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[A]

you've Today's word is unctuous spelled U n C T U O u s Unctuous is an adjective. It's a word that has undergone change in recent years. It now often describes food that is fatty and oily, especially in a pleasing way. Formerly, it was more typically applied as a formal adjective describing someone who is figuratively oily, that is overly or insincerely flattering. Both uses can be found today. Here's the word used in a sentence from Soju Party how to Drink and Eat Like a Korean by Irene Yu the thinly sliced pork belly is shaved into curlicues and cooks up super quickly and crisply, so it's great for an impatient group or as a first round. Thick slices are more akin to what you'd find at Korean barbecue restaurants nowadays. They'll cook and sizzle in their own fat, resulting in juicy, unctuous bites. Unctuous is a slippery word in multiple ways. Its ultimate source is a Latin word meaning to anoint, to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance. And this oily character was key to the word's meaning when it first appeared in the 14th century, as when John Treviso wrote the olive fruit is bright, delicious, and unctuous. Unctuous here means fatty or oily, as did its immediate medieval Latin predecessor, unctuosus. The same use of unctuous is quite prominent today, as the word often describes deliciously fatty foods and the sensation of such foods on the palate, as in an unctuous mouthfeel. But come across unctuous in literature of the 19th or 20th century, and you're more likely to see a less pleasant application with the word describing a person or behavior that that is figuratively oily, that is overly or insincerely flattering with your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.

[C]

Visit merriamwebster.com today for definitions, wordplay and trending word lookups.