oozing

IPA/uːz/
KK[ˈuzɪŋ]IPA/uːz/

oozing — verb

  • oozingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • oozings3rd person singular
  • oozinging-ing form
  • oozingedpast simple

1. If a thick or sticky liquid oozes from somewhere, it escapes very slowly through

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

If a thick or sticky liquid oozes from somewhere, it escapes very slowly through a tiny opening. You can also say that a container or object oozes a liquid in this way. When used about a person or place that oozes a quality such as charm or confidence, it means they show that quality extremely clearly.

Example

Dark, sticky oil was oozing from a crack in the pipeline near the river.

ooze + from + [place] for literal liquid flow

Honey slowly oozed over the edge of the jar and across the kitchen counter.

Common collocations
  • ooze from
  • ooze out of
  • ooze with
  • ooze confidence
  • ooze charm
  • ooze warmth
Synonyms
  • seep

    neutral term for any liquid passing slowly; does not suggest stickiness

  • exude

    more formal; common in figurative use (exude confidence)

  • leak

    implies an unwanted escape from a container; the flow is usually faster

Antonyms
  • gush

    flows out fast and forcefully, the opposite of slow oozing

Grammar Patterns

ooze + from/out of + [place]

ooze + [liquid]

ooze + [quality/emotion]

Usage Note

In the figurative use (oozing a quality), the quality is usually shown so clearly that it affects how others feel about the person or place. Common objects of this sense include confidence, charm, warmth, and style.

Common Mistakes

Water oozed from the tap.
Water dripped from the tap.
ooze is only used for thick, sticky liquids, not for clear water.

oozing — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe slow liquid movement, but with key differences. Seep is the most neutral term — any liquid passing slowly through small spaces, like rainwater seeping through soil. Ooze adds stickiness and thickness; honey and sap ooze, they do not seep. Exude is more formal and strongly linked to figurative uses: a person exudes confidence, a flower exudes a scent. Leak implies an unwanted escape from a container that should be sealed (a leaking pipe, a leaking boat). Trickle describes a thin stream moving slowly downward, usually water — never thick liquids like mud or sap. For the figurative sense of showing a quality, ooze and exude overlap most, but ooze is more informal and vivid: 'The place oozes charm' sounds warmer than 'The place exudes charm.'

seep ↗exude ↗leak ↗trickle ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • ooze with something
  • ooze out

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishProto-GermanicEnglish

The verb comes from the Old English noun wōs, meaning 'sap, juice', and the related word wāse, meaning 'mud, mire'. Both go back to a common Germanic root connected to wetness and moisture. The noun sense (soft mud at the bottom of water) developed from the idea of wet, slow-moving material, while the verb shifted from 'sap flowing from a tree' to any thick liquid moving slowly. The figurative use ('oozing charm') grew from the image of a quality seeping out of someone like a slow liquid.

First known use

1547

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb