Meaning
油腻 describes food that is excessively oily or greasy, or surfaces covered with oil/grease. In recent years, it has also developed a slang meaning to describe middle-aged men (especially) who are perceived as sleazy, pretentious, or trying too hard to appear successful while lacking genuine substance.
Usage
Commonly used to describe food that's too oily and makes you feel uncomfortable. In modern colloquial usage, 油腻的中年男人 (greasy middle-aged man) has become a popular internet phrase describing men who are paunchy, boastful, and out of touch. Can be used both literally (for food/objects) and figuratively (for people/behavior).
Examples
- 01这个菜太油腻了，我吃不下去。, .This dish is too greasy, I can't eat it.
- 02他变成了一个油腻的中年大叔。.He's turned into a greasy middle-aged uncle.
Characters
Common collocations
- 油腻的食物greasy food
- 油腻的中年男人greasy middle-aged man
- 太油腻too greasy
- 感觉油腻feel greasy
Antonyms
Origin
Combines 油 (oil) with 腻 (greasy/smooth texture), literally meaning oily and greasy. The extended metaphorical use for people emerged from internet culture around 2017.