candy
noun
any of a variety of confections made with sugar, syrup, etc., often combined with chocolate, fruit, nuts, etc.
candy
1 American
[kan-dee]
/ ˈkæn di /
noun
-
candies
plural
-
any of a variety of confections made with sugar, syrup, etc., often combined with chocolate, fruit, nuts, etc.
-
a single piece of such a confection.
-
Slang. cocaine.
-
someone or something that is pleasing or pleasurable, usually in a superficial way (often used in combination).
The show is candy, but enjoy it for what it is.
verb (used with object)
-
candies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
candied,
past participle, past
-
candying
present participle
-
to cook in sugar or syrup, as sweet potatoes or carrots.
-
to cook in heavy syrup until transparent, as fruit, fruit peel, or ginger.
-
to reduce (sugar, syrup, etc.) to a crystalline form, usually by boiling down.
-
to coat with sugar.
to candy dates.
-
to make sweet, palatable, or agreeable.
verb (used without object)
-
candies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
candied,
past participle, past
-
candying
present participle
-
to become covered with sugar.
-
to crystallize into sugar.
Candy
2
American
[kan-dee]
/ ˈkæn di /
noun
candy
British
/ ˈkændɪ /
noun
-
confectionery in general; sweets, chocolate, etc
-
a person or thing that is regarded as being attractive but superficial
arm candy
-
informal very easy to accomplish
verb
-
to cause (sugar, etc) to become crystalline, esp by boiling or (of sugar) to become crystalline through boiling
-
to preserve (fruit peel, ginger, etc) by boiling in sugar
-
to cover with any crystalline substance, such as ice or sugar
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
candysimple
-
candiessimple
-
have candiedperfect
-
has candiedperfect
-
am candyingprogressive
-
are candyingprogressive
-
is candyingprogressive
-
have been candyingperfect progressive
-
has been candyingperfect progressive
Past
-
candiedsimple
-
had candiedperfect
-
was candyingprogressive
-
were candyingprogressive
-
had been candyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of candy
1225–75; Middle English candi, sugre candi candied sugar < Middle French sucre candi; candi ≪ Arabic qandī < Persian qandi sugar < Sanskrit khaṇḍakaḥ sugar candy
Explanation
Candy is a sugary sweet treat. Halloween is partly about dressing up in costumes, but mostly it's about the candy. Your favorite candy may be sweet and fruity, or so sour you can barely stand to eat it. Other people prefer chocolate when it comes to candy. Candy is also a verb, meaning "coat with a sugary glaze," — you might candy cherries or almonds. And when something's made of candy, the word becomes an adjective: "But it's only a candy cigarette!" The word comes from the Arabic qandi, with its Persian root quand, "cane sugar."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And “Toxically Optimistic,” is another medicine in the candy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
Better to eat candy than starve to death.
From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026
It’s a cheap indulgence, but what Halloween candy isn’t?
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026
Several TikTokers influencers claim you can save money and be the coolest house on the block with bigger candy this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
The Sugar Shack was an exceptional candy store.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Speaking to the media on Thursday, McDermott likened it to the hapless journey undertaken by Steve Martin and John Candy in their 1987 road-trip comedy.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
In New York, vegetarian restaurant Dirt Candy was one of the very first to ban tipping back in 2015.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
As a morbidly obese young adult, I considered him one of my “big three,” along with John Candy and Chris Farley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Appeared in the August 13, 2026, print edition as 'Goldman Doubles Down on ‘Boomer Candy’'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Candy Man moved it back, and moved another one of my pawns.
From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds
So a big bag of mini candies may only satisfy 30 kids, by her reasoning.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
Hershey has faced similar litigation over other seasonal Reese’s candies, including ghost-shaped chocolates without depicted facial features and football-shaped candies that lacked the laces shown on their packaging.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
"I don't know how long we will be like this," said Stefani Garate, 26, who used to sell coconut candies on the beach.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Researchers figured out how to make convincing replicas of its red, orange and yellow candies using natural ingredients like beets and turmeric.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Then, at the end of the tour, as a special present, all of them will be given enough chocolates and candies to last them for the rest of their lives!
From "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl
Cake fillings of almond crunch and toasted pecan praline and candied lemon, while jackfruit and palm sugar bring distinct South-East Asian flavours.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026
Dollops of candied citrus gleam like jewels, Turbinado sugar crowns the loaf with a satisfyingly crackly crust, and the coffee whispers beneath it all, cutting through sweetness and coaxing out the pumpkin’s earthy depth.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025
There’s the Ukrainian poppy seed cake makivnyk, the Middle Eastern hot chocolate sahlep, the Spanish nougat turrón and the Chinese candied fruit tanghulu, among others.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2025
Top with candied orange peel and call it festive.
From Salon ● Nov. 27, 2025
King Bull Sparra crammed the last candied chestnuts into his beak and chomped with evident enjoyment.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Some confectioners infuse their candying syrup with botanicals, like bay leaves, rosemary or peppercorns, for added intrigue.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2023
It’s subtle but transformative to know what sugar feels like in your fingers at different stages of candying.
From New York Times ● Dec. 1, 2017
“Some people have a method of candying the roots, and thus prepared they are very pleasant, and may be eaten with good success against coughs and inward soreness.”
From The Cries of London Exhibiting Several of the Itinerant Traders of Antient and Modern Times by John Thomas Smith
A little practice will enable the candy-maker to form objects that look more like violets than do the flowers themselves after they have been put through the candying process.
From Candy-Making Revolutionized Confectionery from Vegetables by Mary Elizabeth Hall
Basket parties bumped him; sticky children tumbled, howling, under his feet, candying his clothes.
From The Trimmed Lamp, and other Stories of the Four Million by O. Henry
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