oil painting

noun

Synonyms of oil paintingnext
1
a
: the act or art of painting in oil colors
b
: a picture painted in oils
2
: painting that uses pigments originally ground in oil

Synonyms of oil painting

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of oil painting in a Sentence

He studied oil painting in college. A large oil painting hangs above the mantel.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ducsik notes that a truly beautiful vintage work of art can even set the color palette for an entire room, so be sure to consider the possibilities of an old oil painting or needlepoint picture before donating it. — Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 20 Aug. 2026 Presley’s oil painting draws inspiration from the Italian Renaissance painting The Annunciation by Domenico di Pace Beccafumi. — News Desk, Artforum, 7 Aug. 2026 Bulgari bathroom amenities, and hi-tech touches do not detract from the old-world charm of the warm wood paneling, soft silk wallpaper, and original oil paintings found throughout the hotel. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026 Displaying oil paintings, watercolors, studies, and multiple proofs alongside the full corpus of his etchings, the PMA show allows the viewer to discover the process of etching alongside Homer. — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for oil painting

Word History

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of oil painting was in 1699

Rhymes for oil painting

See All Rhymes for oil painting

Browse Nearby Words

oil paint
oil painting
oil palm
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oil painting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oil%20painting. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

oil painting

noun
: a painting done with oil paints

More from Merriam-Webster on oil painting

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oil painting

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All