unctuous compliment
- noun
- /ˈʌŋk.tʃu.əs ˈkɒmplɪmənt/
:
cumplido untuoso
- She recognized the unctuous compliment as a manipulative attempt to win her approval.
Examples
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Colleagues often roll their eyes when he offers another unctuous compliment to the boss.
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His unctuous compliment did little to convince her of his sincerity.
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He gave her an unctuous compliment about her cooking.
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Don't fall for his unctuous compliments!
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Colleagues often roll their eyes when he offers another unctuous compliment to the boss.
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His unctuous compliment did little to convince her of his sincerity.
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She recognized the unctuous compliment as a manipulative attempt to win her approval.
Synonyms
37
4.7
Praise people give without meaning it to get something from someone
18
8.4
Too much praise that is not honest and meant to get approval
3
4.3
Flattering words that try to persuade someone but are not sincere
2
8.3
Claims that exaggerate product benefits and are not meant literally
1
9.7
Praise that is too much and not sincere to make someone like you
How Insincere
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is a straightforward composition: 'unctuous' (oily/ingratiating, insincerely flattering) modifies 'compliment' (a praise), so the combined meaning — an excessively flattering or insincere remark — is directly derivable from the constituents. Although 'unctuous' is a low-frequency lexical item, for a learner who knows both words the adjectival modification follows a normal, cross-linguistic pattern and is therefore transparent.
Etymology
Unctuous compliment comes from the old word unctuous, which meant 'oily', so imagine someone speaking so smooth and slick they seem covered in oil. That's why an unctuous compliment is an overly flattering, insincere remark meant to get someone's favor.