greasy
Americanadjective
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coated or soiled with or as if with grease
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composed of or full of grease
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resembling grease
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unctuous or oily in manner
noun
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a shearer
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an outback cook, esp cooking for a number of men
Pronunciation
greasy is almost always pronounced as , with a medial , in the South Midland and Southern U.S. and as , with a medial , in New England, New York State, and the Great Lakes Basin. Speakers of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania are divided, with some using and some using . Standard British English reflects both and pronunciations and British folk speech is also divided regionally, with heard in the eastern counties and in the central and western ones. Both pronunciations were brought to the colonies, where the present U.S. pattern emerged.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of greasy
First recorded in 1505–15
Explanation
Greasy things are oily and slick, like those delicious greasy fries you eat at the state fair, and the greasy fingers you lick clean. Anything that contains or is covered with slippery fat is greasy, whether it's fried dough or a car's engine. Things that look oily, like your brother's unwashed hair, are also greasy. Both grease and greasy come from a Latin root meaning "fat." A "greasy spoon" is a small, inexpensive restaurant or diner, named for the fact that many foods in such a place tend to be fried in oil or other fats.
Vocabulary lists containing greasy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Greasy, salty, chewy and—as Richard Wilbur wrote of the potato—“beautiful only to hunger,” they simply taste good.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
Greasy pizza boxes, food-stained paper plates or napkins, and coffee filters and grounds can all go into your compost bin.
From Seattle Times • May 1, 2023
A: Greasy residues are inevitable in any kitchen used for cooking rather than reheating ready-made meals.
From Washington Post • Dec. 9, 2022
Greasy lamplights and candles flicker dangerously close to actors' hair, and the lack of electricity understandably makes the story feel older, timeless or stuck forever in the oil painting past, crushed by its own weight.
From Salon • Jul. 16, 2022
“And the food was pizza! Greasy, slimy, cheesy pizza!”
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
