a sweet, crystalline substance, C 1 2 H 2 2 O 1 1 , obtained chiefly from the juice of the sugarcane and the sugar beet, and present in sorghum, maple sap, etc.: used extensively as an ingredient and flavoring of certain foods and as a fermenting agent in the manufacture of certain alcoholic beverages; sucrose.
Chemistry. a member of the same class of carbohydrates, as lactose, glucose, or fructose.
(sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address, as to a child or a romantic partner (sometimes offensive when used to strangers, casual acquaintances, subordinates, etc., especially by a male to a female).
a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter S.
Slang. money.
Slang. LSD
to cover, sprinkle, mix, or sweeten with sugar.
to make agreeable.
to form sugar or sugar crystals.
to make maple sugar.
Also called: sucrose, saccharose. a white crystalline sweet carbohydrate, a disaccharide, found in many plants and extracted from sugar cane and sugar beet: it is used esp as a sweetening agent in food and drinks. Formula: C 12 H 22 O 11
any of a class of simple water-soluble carbohydrates, such as sucrose, lactose, and fructose
informal a term of affection, esp for one's sweetheart
rare a slang word for money
a slang name for LSD
(tr) to add sugar to; make sweet
(tr) to cover or sprinkle with sugar
(intr) to produce sugar
to make something unpleasant more agreeable by adding something pleasant
the government stopped wage increases but sugared the pill by reducing taxes
1250–1300; Middle English sugre, sucre (noun) < Middle French sucre < Medieval Latin succārum < Italian zucchero < Arabic sukkar; obscurely akin to Persian shakar, Greek sákcharon ( see sacchar-)
Sugar is the sweet stuff that makes candy and other treats extra delicious, but eating too much of it is bad for you. Sugar isn’t only a food, it’s also an essential part of living cells and a source of energy for all animals. There are two main senses of sugar. First is refined sugar — the crystals that sweeten and preserve many foods. This yummy stuff comes from the sugarcane and sugar beet plants, and really hit the scene in the 18th and 19th centuries when sugar plantations spread and more people could get sugar. The other kind of sugar refers to biochemistry, and these sugars are an important part of the cells of all living things.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Carbon dioxide and water meet in the chloroplasts, where solar energy breaks down their molecules and reassembles them into the sugar glucose plus “a side order of oxygen,” the author writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The general idea is that going long stretches without eating depletes the body’s stored sugar, or glycogen, so it burns stored fat for energy.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
“According to him, they had handcuffed him and given him a sugar test for diabetes,” said Fairchild’s stepmother, Denise Fairchild.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Some protein powders contain high amounts of added sugar, artificial ingredients, and hidden stimulants.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Television is worse for you than white sugar.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Just days after Golding led Ole Miss to an upset win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, Grove Collective and administration leaders met with Chambliss and Lacy between 1 and 4 a.m.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The landmark Domino Sugar factory was gut-renovated and now serves as offices for over 30 A.I. and tech firms.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026
Sugar prices have jumped nearly 40% in the past two months, prompting the government to import 1 million tonnes for the first time in nearly a decade.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Davis and her daughter call the peacock Sugar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
“Why, thank you, Holly. I was in the local paper once. I won a competition. Miss Sugar Beet Fair Nineteen Ninety-Nine.”
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Behind the bar, yeast busily converted sugars into alcohol inside giant stainless steel fermentation tanks.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
Means demanded stricter limits on added sugars, protein in breakfasts and 100% whole grain products, changes that roughly quadrupled the cost.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Ethel had been found in a coma at 05:00 and her first injection of glucose to increase her blood sugars was given at 06:15.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
A food can taste sweet because it contains sugar, a low-calorie sweetener, or naturally occurring sugars.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
Some is made into other sugars like maltodextrin, which can be used to make instant pudding or gravy.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
"Nah, nah, nah. I used to use sugared hot water, before the days of hair lacquer. And I couldn't afford hair lacquer, anyway."
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2025
I park myself in the upholstered rocker strategically in between the little bowl of sugared pecans and the cookie tin containing the most Kanelkakor.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2023
Dip each in the turbinado sugar to coat one side; set sugared side up on the prepared baking sheet, nine per sheet.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 15, 2023
“While he can wag a finger as vigorously as the rest of his Boomer cohort, gentleness and twinkle have always sugared the Croz pill,” Eccleston wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2023
There is the aroma of mulled wine and sugared candy, peppermint and pipe smoke.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
"The sugaring season has come early this year and is still underway," he said.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2024
But she soon found that before she could provide services for clients, and earn more, she was required to attend trainings on such things as sugaring to remove unwanted hair and lash and brow maintenance.
From Reuters ● Oct. 17, 2022
The profitability of maple sugaring depends heavily on yields of actual syrup, which certainly hinges on the actual number of days that hover at the cusp of freezing temperatures.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2022
What’s unique about this year is the influx of suburban and urban backyard adventurers fueling these maple sugaring highs.
From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2021
Mother said, “You know, Chrissie, I’ve never been here in sugaring season before? I always wanted to, I remember, and Grandma was always insisting. But we could never get here until school was out.”
From "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
