treacle

American  

[tree-kuhl] / ˈtri kəl /

noun

1. contrived or unrestrained sentimentality.

   a movie plot of the most shameless treacle.

2. British.

   1. molasses, especially that which is drained from the vats used in sugar refining.

   2. Also called golden syrup.  a mild mixture of molasses, corn syrup, etc., used in cooking or as a table syrup.

3. Pharmacology, Obsolete. any of various medicinal compounds, formerly used as antidotes for poison.

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treacle British  

/ ˈtriːkəl /

noun

1. Also called: black treacle.  a dark viscous syrup obtained during the refining of sugar

2. another name for golden syrup

3. anything sweet and cloying

4. obsolete any of various preparations used as an antidote to poisoning

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Other Word Forms

• treacliness
  noun
• treacly
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of treacle

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, variant of triacle “antidote,” from Middle French, Old French, from Latin thēriaca, from Greek thēriakḗ, noun use of feminine of thēriakós “concerning wild beasts,” equivalent to thērí(on) “wild beast” ( thḗr “wild beast” + -ion diminutive suffix) + -akos -ac

Explanation

Use the noun treacle to describe a book or a song that is so sweet and sappy that it makes you feel a little sick. Treacle is literally a type of thick, sticky syrup — that might help you remember its primary, figurative meaning as non-food that’s syrupy and sentimental. When someone lays on the flattery, that's treacle, as are overly sentimental music and calling your girlfriend "schmoopy-poo." Interestingly, the word treacle was originally used to mean "poison antidote," from the Greek root word thēriakē, "antidote for venom."

Example Sentences

The setup is like a hazard sign reading “Caution: Treacle Ahead.”

From New York Times • Jul. 14, 2022

Hutchins was recognized as a "rising star" by American Cinematographer in 2019, and won an award for best cinematography at the 2019 English Riviera Film Festival for her movie "Treacle."

From Salon • Oct. 22, 2021

Billy-Jo Howe, from Weston-super-Mare, in North Somerset, wrote to the show to say how much of a difference her hamster, Treacle, has brought to her life during the most recent lockdown.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2021

He was kindly received as a tweedy confidence trickster in a Dennis Potter play, Brimstone And Treacle, in 2012.

From The Guardian • Aug. 15, 2015

Treacle toffee, Ron?” he added as Ron reappeared.

From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling