Unctuousness (Noun)
Meaning
Smug self-serving earnestness.
Classification
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.
Examples
- The politician's unctuousness was nauseating as he mouthed platitudes about the poor while pocketing campaign bribes from wealthy donors.
- His academic rival's work was marred by a cloying unctuousness that seemed to amplify every minor insight into a groundbreaking epiphany.
- The pastor's fervent prayers at the charity dinner felt tainted by unctuousness, as if he were more concerned with impressing the wealthy donors than with genuine spirituality.
- The used car salesman's unctuousness was a shield that hid his true intentions, disguising the inherent value of the vehicle to turn a hefty profit.
- The writer's pretentious literary style reeked of unctuousness, dripping with condescending advice for the common reader while revealing a deep ignorance of the subject matter.