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.
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.
to become covered with sugar.
to crystallize into sugar.
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
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
1225–75; Middle English candi, sugre candi candied sugar < Middle French sucre candi; candi ≪ Arabic qandī < Persian qandi sugar < Sanskrit khaṇḍakaḥ sugar candy
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Plaintiffs Randall and Candy Renick, whose Altadena home was damaged, said they were charged nearly three times the maximum permitted rate for nearly 10 months.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
He offered the same argument years later during an interview with CNN’s Candy Crowley in 2011.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026
Laing, who is also the founder of sweets brand Candy Kittens, says that approach was intentional because "if there were three cameras and a set-up, it feels forced".
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Reese Candy Company with his five brothers until 1963, when they merged the business with what was then the Hershey Chocolate Corporation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2026
Candy was going to wear her overalls, but when she asked me if other kids wear overalls to school, I had to tell her not so much.
From "Liar & Spy" by Rebecca Stead
Definitions 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.
