greasy

American  

[gree-see, ‑zee] / ˈgri si, ‑zi /

adjective

greasier, greasiest

1. smeared, covered, or soiled with grease.

2. composed of or containing grease; oily.

   greasy food.

3. greaselike in appearance or to the touch; slippery.

4. insinuatingly unctuous in manner; repulsively slick; oily.

5. Veterinary Pathology. affected with grease.

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greasy British  

/ -sɪ, ˈɡriːzɪ /

adjective

1. coated or soiled with or as if with grease

2. composed of or full of grease

3. resembling grease

4. unctuous or oily in manner

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noun

1. a shearer

2. 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

• greasily
  adverb
• greasiness
  noun
• nongreasy
  adjective
• overgreasiness
  noun
• overgreasy
  adjective
• ungreasy
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

Cigarette butts litter the floor, moldy food is left to decay on greasy dishes and the ceiling is stained with candle soot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The brown, greasy, bleach-flavored clouds were taking something with them, something of the paradise spirit.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

In damp, greasy conditions, Britain's Russell saved his best lap for last, clocking a time of one minute 34.054 seconds to pip reigning Formula One world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull by 0.227secs.

From Barron's • Nov. 22, 2025

"A light, fresh, easy-to-digest product with a few choice toppings, not the massively greasy, heavy and overloaded pizzas of the past. That, I think, is what's caused Pizza Hut's downfall," she says.

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2025

And Sheba was huge, her nose long and pointed, her hair greasy gray tails swinging like thick ropes around her grinning face, her eyes red and piercing.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

Related Words

• creamy
• fatty
• slick