sugarcoating

American  

[shoog-er-koh-ting] / ˈʃʊg ərˌkoʊ tɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of covering something with sugar.

2. a coating coating or layer of sugar or a sugary substance.

3. a thing used to make something else considered unpleasant or disagreeable seem attractive or palatable.

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Etymology

Origin of sugarcoating

First recorded in 1905–10; sugar + coat + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

There was no sugarcoating how disappointed Brentwood players and coaches felt last week in suffering a 16-point drubbing by Crossroads in their Gold Coast League opener.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

BENTONVILLE, Ark.—Walmart WMT 0.36%increase; green up pointing triangle executives aren’t sugarcoating the message: Artificial intelligence will wipe out some jobs and reshape its workforce.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 27, 2025

There’s no sugarcoating that UCLA’s defense has vastly outperformed an offense that has repeatedly switched quarterbacks and is averaging 28.6 points per game, tied for No. 62 in the nation.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2023

As Elliott returns for Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway, site of his last victory, there’s no sugarcoating his season.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 30, 2023

There was no sugarcoating the fact that Dad’s skills in the kitchen were the equivalent of mine at keeping a clean room.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas