Word
ooze
US/ˈuz/
UK/ˈuːz/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. a thick, sticky liquid that moves slowly. It is often used to describe something that is unpleasant or messy.
n. a thick, viscous, semi-fluid substance that flows slowly. Often carries a negative connotation of being slimy or unpleasant.
Examples
“The swamp was full of green ooze.”
“After the storm, a thick black ooze began to rise from the cracks in the old sewer pipes.”
“The abandoned factory floor was coated in a sticky, tar-like ooze that had seeped through the corroded metal walls over decades of neglect.”
Examples
simple
“The swamp was full of green ooze.”
contextual
“After the storm, a thick black ooze began to rise from the cracks in the old sewer pipes.”
complex
“The abandoned factory floor was coated in a sticky, tar-like ooze that had seeped through the corroded metal walls over decades of neglect.”
Real-World Examples
“The T-1000 is nowhere to be seen—until it slowly oozes up out of the checkerboard hospital floor tiles right behind the unsuspecting guard.” “Little Bird, a trained lawyer, is repeatedly told to calm down, act with decorum, while officials fob her off, oozing contempt.” Etymology
(Noun) Middle English wose (“sap”), from Old English wōs (“sap, froth”), from Proto-Germanic wōsą, from Proto-Indo-European *wóseh₂ (“sap”) (cf. Sanskrit वसा (vásā, “fat”)). Cognate to Middle Low German wose (“scum”), Old High German wasal (“rain”), Old Swedish os, oos, ooss, Swedish os. Compare Old Swedish os, oos, Swedish os, Danish os, Norwegian os (“fumes, vapors, reeking, fug”). * (Verb) Middle English wosen, from Old English wōsan; see above. Compare Swedish osa (“ooze”).
From Middle English wose, from Old English wāse (“mud, mire”), from Proto-West Germanic waisā, from Proto-Germanic waisǭ (compare Dutch waas (“haze, mist; bloom”), (obsolete) German Wasen (“turf, sod”), Old Norse veisa (“slime, stagnant pool”)), from Proto-Indo-European *weys- (“to flow”) (compare Sanskrit विष्यति (viṣyati, “flow, let loose”)). Compare also Saterland Frisian öäzje (“to smear”). More at virus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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