Oozing: meaning, definitions and examples

Use when a thick or sticky liquid is slowly coming out of something or seeping. It might have a somewhat negative connotation if it describes something unpleasant.

• The honey was oozing out of the broken jar.
• Blood was oozing from the wound.

Best used when talking about a steady and continuous movement of liquid, often in larger or more significant amounts, compared to 'drip' or 'trickle'.

• The river flowed peacefully through the valley.
• Information flows quickly in the digital age.

Appropriate for describing small amounts of liquid that intermittently fall in drops. Often used for leaks or when something is falling slowly, drop by drop.

• The faucet won't stop dripping.
• Water dripped from the icicles as the sun warmed them.

Used when talking about a slow, thin stream of liquid. It suggests a small, gentle and intermittent flow, often in small quantities.

• Tears trickled down her cheeks.
• A trickle of water ran down the wall from the leaky pipe.

This refers to a steady, often unpleasant, flow of liquid from an object. It’s frequently used to describe liquids coming from organic or infected sources.

• The sap was oozing from the tree.
• The infected sore was oozing pus.

Choose 'seeping' to describe a slow, gradual flow of liquid, especially when it moves through small openings. It often relates to water or other liquids permeating or escaping slowly from materials.

• Water was seeping through the walls.
• The oil was seeping out of the engine.

The word 'oozy' is used to describe something that has qualities of or is covered with a slow, sticky substance. It often has a somewhat negative or unpleasant connotation.

• The ground was oozy after the heavy rain.
• The cake had an oozy chocolate center.