viscosity
5 synonyms and 2 antonyms for viscosity, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — How thick a liquid is and how strongly it resists flowing; honey has a high viscosity, water a low one.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
How thick a liquid is and how strongly it resists flowing; honey has a high viscosity, water a low one.
“Cold weather raises the viscosity of the oil, so the engine turns over slowly.”
Opposites
2. noun technical
In physics, a measurable property of a fluid equal to the ratio of shear stress to the rate of shear, expressed in units such as the pascal second or the poise.
“The dynamic viscosity of water at 20 °C is about one millipascal second.”
How to Use Viscosity
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Everyday in cooking and car maintenance, precise in engineering and physics, where dynamic and kinematic viscosity are distinguished.
Etymology
From Latin viscosus "sticky", from viscum, the sticky birdlime made from mistletoe berries.
Full origin of viscosity →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between viscosity and density?
Density is how much mass a substance packs into a given volume; viscosity is how much it resists flowing. Motor oil is less dense than water but far more viscous, which is why it floats yet pours slowly.
Does viscosity change with temperature?
Yes, and strongly. Liquids get thinner as they warm and thicker as they cool, which is why cooking oil runs freely in a hot pan and honey stiffens in the fridge. Gases behave the opposite way, becoming slightly more viscous when heated.
What does 10W-40 mean on an oil bottle?
It is a viscosity grade. The number before the W describes how the oil flows in winter cold, and the second number how thick it stays at engine operating temperature.