Macmillan Dictionary

Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

Polite in an unpleasant or insincere way

proper

adjective

behaving in a way that is so polite that other people feel annoyed or uncomfortable

suave

adjective

confident and polite in a way that may not be sincere

obsequious

adjective

too keen to please someone, in a way that does not seem sincere

simpering

adjective

trying to be friendly and pleasant in a way that appears silly and not sincere

slimy

adjective

polite and friendly in a way that is unpleasant because it is not honest or sincere

greasy

adjective

very friendly and polite in a way that is unpleasant and not sincere

smarmy

adjective

extremely pleasant and polite in a way that seems false

oily

adjective

polite to people, but in an unpleasant way that does not seem sincere

mannered

adjective

behaving, speaking, or writing in a way that is extremely formal and not natural

all sweetness and light

if a person or situation is all sweetness and light, they are very pleasant, often in a way that seems false

charticle

a news article that consists of a chart … and only has a small amount of text

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day

picture messaging

the sending of images and photographs from one mobile phone to another

Open Dictionary

never event

an event that should never occur in a healthcare setting …

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog