Meaning & use
greaseball
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableoffensiveslang
An offensive insult for a person, historically aimed at Italians and some other ethnic groups, as an insult.
Grammar: Never appropriate in speaking; mentioned here only so readers can understand older texts.
The novel shows a character using the word greaseball to demean his neighbors.
Teachers explained that greaseball is an ethnic slur and should not be used.
A historian noted how greaseball appeared in mid-century writing about immigrants.
Word forms
| plural | greaseballs |
|---|
Common combinations
- ethnic slur like greaseball
- The report listed greaseball as an ethnic slur.
- offensive term greaseball
- The offensive term greaseball appears in the old script.
- derogatory label
- Greaseball is a derogatory label and should be avoided.
- called a greaseball
- In the film, the character is called a greaseball, which the scene treats as an insult.
Word family
Commonly confused: greaseball or grease monkey?
greaseball vs grease monkey
Grease monkey is a mild, informal word for a mechanic, though some find it dated. Greaseball is a slur and is never acceptable.
Practice
Which label best describes how 'greaseball' is used of a person?
Choose one answer.
Greaseball is an offensive slur. It is not neutral, formal, or technical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “greaseball”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.