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Synonyms

sugary

American  
[shoog-uh-ree] / ˈʃʊg ə ri /

adjective

  1. of, containing, or resembling sugar.

  2. sweet; excessively sweet.

  3. honeyed; cloying; deceitfully agreeable.

    sugary words of greeting.


sugary British  
/ ˈʃʊɡərɪ /

adjective

  1. of, like, or containing sugar

  2. containing too much sugar; excessively sweet

  3. deceptively pleasant; insincere

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of sugary

First recorded in 1585–95; sugar + -y 1

Explanation

Something that's literally sugary is extremely sweet, like a sugary root beer float. If something is figuratively sugary, it's overly sentimental. Candy corn, soft drinks, and jelly beans are all sugary — and so is the sappy Valentine's Day card your sister wrote to her crush. The adjective sugary comes from sugar, an English word that, unusually, traces its origin back to Sanskrit. Sugar comes from sharkara, "ground or candied sugar."

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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.

Sugary and acidic foods, dry mouth, and smoking can also contribute to bad breath, tooth decay, and gum infections.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2024

Sugary drinks are youngsters’ main source of added sugar, she said, adding that nearly two-thirds of them have such a drink every day.

From Washington Times • May 3, 2023

Sugary beverage consumption, for instance, which rose among teenagers in the 1980s and 1990s, has been linked with an increased risk of early occurrences of the condition.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 27, 2023

Wonderspread: Guaranteed in 14 days with the Sugary White Sandwich Bread diet!

From Washington Post • Sep. 19, 2019

Sugary things, cups of coffee, rides to school were not enough.

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour