油滑 (yóu huá) is an adjective describing someone who appears smooth, charming, and clever on the surface—but in a way that feels insincere, evasive, or morally slippery. The character 油 (yóu, 'oil') suggests slickness—something that cannot be grasped easily—while 滑 (huá, 'slippery') reinforces the idea of avoiding responsibility or truth. Together, they evoke a person who dodges difficult questions, flatters excessively, or manipulates situations with superficial charm.

This term carries a distinctly negative connotation and is often used to criticize politicians, salespeople, or anyone whose words lack authenticity or moral grounding. It’s more common in spoken and written critique than in neutral description, and frequently appears in essays, journalism, or everyday judgment of character. While it can describe behavior, it rarely refers to physical texture—the meaning is almost always figurative and interpersonal.