well-oiled

/ˌwel ˈɔɪld/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌwel ˈɔɪld/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwel-ˈȯi(-ə)ld/ (ame, mw)

well-oiled — adjective

1. describing a system, team, or organization that operates without problems becaus

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describing a system, team, or organization that operates without problems because all its parts are well coordinated and work together efficiently

例句

The marketing team operates like a well-oiled machine, meeting every deadline without stress.

common simile: like a well-oiled machine

With proper maintenance, the factory's assembly line stayed well-oiled for years.

同義詞
  • efficient

    broader — focuses on speed and low resource use, not coordination of parts

  • smooth

    broader — emphasizes lack of problems, can apply to almost anything

  • streamlined

    focuses on deliberate simplification and removal of obstacles

反義詞
  • clunky

    informal — awkward, slow, or poorly designed

  • inefficient

    wastes time, energy, or resources

文法句型

a well-oiled + noun

like a well-oiled machine

run/work like a well-oiled machine

用法筆記

Most frequent in the fixed simile 'like a well-oiled machine'. Describes groups or systems, not individual people acting alone — 'a well-oiled employee' is unusual and may be misunderstood.

常見錯誤

❌She is a well-oiled manager' (describing one person as efficient).
✅Her team is a well-oiled machine.
💡The idiom typically describes a group or system, not an individual.
❌The meeting was well-oiled' (meaning the meeting went smoothly).
✅The meeting ran like a well-oiled operation.
💡'well-oiled' alone as a predicative sounds odd for events; use the 'like a ...' structure instead.

2. informal — describing someone who has drunk too much alcohol and is unsteady or

2.形容詞B2
釋義

informal — describing someone who has drunk too much alcohol and is unsteady or talks too much as a result

例句

After three glasses of wine, Beatrix was quite well-oiled and started singing.

informal idiom for being drunk

The guests were all well-oiled by midnight, laughing and telling silly jokes.

同義詞
  • tipsy

    milder — slightly drunk, not heavily

  • plastered

    stronger — very drunk, slang, more common in British English

  • intoxicated

    formal or clinical register, neutral on degree

反義詞
  • sober

    not affected by alcohol at all

文法句型

be/get/become well-oiled

用法筆記

Describes people only — do not use for objects or machines. In British English more than American English. Often used with 'get' to describe the process of becoming drunk.

常見錯誤

❌He was well-oiled after his shower' (meaning drunk from washing).
✅He was well-oiled after three beers at the pub.
💡'well-oiled' meaning drunk implies alcohol, not any liquid.
❌The engine is well-oiled' (meaning the engine is drunk).
✅The engine is well-oiled' (meaning properly lubricated
💡but this is the literal, not idiomatic, sense). — The 'drunk' sense only applies to people.