/ ˈʌŋktjuəs; NAmE -tʃuəs/ adjective
( formal , disapproving ) friendly or giving praise in a way that is not sincere and which is therefore unpleasant
► unc·tu·ous·ly adverb
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense greasy ): from medieval Latin unctuosus , from Latin unctus anointing, from unguere anoint.