Grease — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈgrēs/

Meaning & Definition of Grease

Grease (noun)

  1. rendered animal fat
  2. oily matter
  3. a thick lubricant

Grease (verb)

  1. to smear or daub with grease
  2. to lubricate with grease
  3. to soil with grease

Grease (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction

    "make sure you grease the pan before you put the batter in"

    similar: lubricate, oil, slick, wax
    related: bathe, douse, drench, soak, souse, wash, water, wet
    near: coarsen, rough, roughen, dehydrate, dry, parch, sear

  2. to free from obstruction or difficulty

    "your help might grease the complicated adoption proceedings"

    similar: ease, facilitate, loosen (up), smooth, unclog, pave the way (for)
    related: accelerate, expedite, hasten, hurry, quicken, rush, speed, advance, forward, further, promote, abet, aid, assist, help, improve, disentangle, straighten (out), untangle, simplify, streamline
    opposite: complicate
    near: hinder, impede, retard, aggravate, worsen, perplex, sophisticate

Related Entry: Grease the hand of (phrase)

Grease the hand of is a different word from Grease. The synonyms below are for grease the hand of, not for grease.

  1. to influence someone with a bribe

    "He tried to grease the hands of the officials with promises of free service."

    similar: bribe, buy, corrupt, have, pay off, square, get at, oil the hand (of)
    related: fix, tamper (with), abase, debase, debauch, defile, degrade, demean, deprave, dishonor, pervert, poison, profane, prostitute, subvert, taint, warp, allure, bait, beguile, entice, lead on, lure, seduce, tempt, motivate, provoke, spur, stimulate, goad, induce, flatter, persuade, snare, trap

Related Entry: Elbow grease (noun)

Elbow grease is a different word from Grease. The synonyms below are for elbow grease, not for grease.

  1. the active use of energy in producing a result

    "with a little polish and a lot of elbow grease, I was able to make the old silver teapot shine again"

    similar: effort, exertion, expenditure, labor, pains, sweat, trouble, while, work
    related: drudgery, grind, slog, strain, toil, travail, dint, energy, force, might, muscle, power, puissance, attempt, endeavor, essay, fling, go, pass, shot, stab, trial, try, whack
    near: adroitness, ease, facility, fluency, smoothness, dormancy, idleness, inaction, inactivity, indolence, inertia, languor, laziness, quiescence

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Grease

The most common words with a similar meaning to Grease:

lubricate, oil, slick, wax, ease, facilitate, loosen (up), smooth, unclog, pave the way (for)

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Grease

Words with the opposite meaning of Grease:

complicate

Related Words for Grease

bathe, douse, drench, soak, souse, wash, water, wet, accelerate, expedite, hasten, hurry, quicken, rush, speed, advance, forward, further, promote, abet, aid, assist, help, improve, disentangle, straighten (out), untangle, simplify, streamline

Near Antonyms of Grease

coarsen, rough, roughen, dehydrate, dry, parch, sear, hinder, impede, retard, aggravate, worsen, perplex, sophisticate

Word Forms of Grease

Inflections: greased, greasing

Derived words: greaseless (adjective), greaseproof (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Grease

Middle English grese, from Anglo-French gresse, greisse, creisse, from Vulgar Latin *crassia, from Latin crassus fat

First known use: 13th century

Words & Phrases Containing Grease

grease monkey, grease pencil, grease the hand of, grease the wheels, elbow grease, in the grease, wool grease, a/the squeaky wheel gets the grease/oil

Frequently Asked Questions about Grease

What does "Grease" mean?

"Grease" means rendered animal fat. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: rendered animal fat. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Grease"?

Other words for "Grease" include lubricate, oil, slick, wax, ease, facilitate, loosen (up) and smooth. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Grease" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Grease"?

There are 39 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Grease". Common alternatives include lubricate, oil, slick, wax, ease, facilitate, loosen (up), smooth, unclog and pave the way (for).

What is the opposite of "Grease"?

Antonyms of "Grease" include complicate. Near antonyms include coarsen, rough, roughen and dehydrate.

How do you use "Grease" in a sentence?

Examples of "Grease" in a sentence: "make sure you grease the pan before you put the batter in"; "your help might grease the complicated adoption proceedings".

Is "Grease" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Grease" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Grease"?

"Grease" is pronounced /ˈgrēs/.

What is the origin of the word "Grease"?

"Grease" comes from Middle English grese, from Anglo-French gresse, greisse, creisse, from Vulgar Latin *crassia, from Latin crassus fat. First known use: 13th century.