An unctuous person is far too friendly and pours out far too much praise, in a way that makes you feel they want something. Picture the shop assistant who calls you 'sir' five times in one sentence, or the man at the funeral whose sympathy is so smooth and so ready that you doubt he feels it.

An unctuous personunctuous的人 is far too friendly過度友善， and pours out far too much praise而且拚命灌你一堆讚美， in a way that makes you feel they want something讓你覺得他其實別有所圖。Picture想像一下 the shop assistant店員 who calls you 'sir' five times in one sentence一句話裡叫你『先生』叫了五次的， or the man at the funeral或是葬禮上的那個人 whose sympathy is so smooth and so ready他的安慰的話說得又順又快， that you doubt he feels it讓你懷疑他到底是不是真心的。

The word carries the speaker's judgement inside it: you never call yourself unctuous, and calling someone unctuous is a real insult.

The word carries the speaker's judgement inside it這個字本身就帶著說話者的評價： you never call yourself unctuous你絕不會用它形容自己， and calling someone unctuous is a real insult說別人unctuous是真的在罵人。

What makes the word special is the physical picture underneath. It literally means 'oily, greasy', and that is exactly the feeling — the person is slippery, too smooth, and you want to wash your hands after talking to them.

What makes the word special這個字特別的地方， is the physical picture underneath在於底下那個具體的畫面。It literally means 'oily, greasy'它字面意思是『油膩、油滑』， and that is exactly the feeling而那正是這種感覺 — the person is slippery, too smooth這個人滑溜溜的、太過圓滑， and you want to wash your hands after talking to them跟他講完話你會想去洗手。

English has a small family of these: oily, slimy, smarmy, greasy. Unctuous is the most formal and bookish of them; 'smarmy' is what people actually say in speech.

English has a small family of these英文有一小群類似的字： oily, slimy, smarmy, greasy像oily、slimy、smarmy、greasy。Unctuous is the most formal and bookish of themunctuous是其中最正式、最書面的； 'smarmy' is what people actually say in speech口語裡人實際會說的是『smarmy』。

It fits especially well when the flattery has a religious or funeral-parlour smoothness to it.

It fits especially well這個字特別合適， when the flattery has a religious or funeral-parlour smoothness to it當那種奉承帶有宗教式或殯儀館式的圓滑。

One more use worth knowing, because you will meet it on menus: food writers use 'unctuous' as a compliment for something rich, soft and fatty in the mouth — 'unctuous pork belly'. Same oil, opposite feeling. Context tells you which one it is; there is never any real confusion.

One more use worth knowing還有一個用法值得知道， because you will meet it on menus因為你會在菜單上看到： food writers use 'unctuous' as a compliment美食作家把『unctuous』當成讚美， for something rich, soft and fatty in the mouth形容入口濃郁、軟嫩、油潤的食物 — 'unctuous pork belly'像『unctuous pork belly』（油潤軟腴的五花肉）。Same oil, opposite feeling同樣是油，感覺卻完全相反。Context tells you which one it is前後文會告訴你是哪一種意思； there is never any real confusion不會真的搞混。