- Today's Word
Idolatrous
eye-DOL-uh-truhs
Definition
- (adjective) Excessively devoted to or reverent toward someone or something, often to the point of worship.
Example
The fans’ idolatrous admiration for the pop star bordered on obsession.
Fun Fact
While “idolatrous” has religious origins, it is often used today to describe extreme fandom or devotion in non-religious contexts, from celebrity culture to technology. It’s a fascinating way to highlight humanity’s capacity for passionate allegiance.
(adjective) Excessively smooth and flattering in a way that feels insincere; oily in manner or speech.
The unctuous sales manager greeted every client with the same practiced warmth — hand on the shoulder, lingering eye contact, a laugh perfectly timed to make you feel chosen — until you realized he did it with everyone.
Unctuous derives from the Medieval Latin unctuosus, meaning “greasy” or “oily,” rooted in unctum — “ointment” — from ungere, meaning “to anoint.” The same root gives us unguent and unction, the latter still used in religious contexts to describe the act of anointing with oil. It entered English in the 14th century with its literal meaning of oily or greasy texture before acquiring its figurative sense of someone whose excessive smoothness and flattery feels slippery and insincere — the social equivalent of something you can’t quite get a grip on.