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.
All of items, sold individually, were snatched up by Wednesday within 24 hours of sales starting: water bottle caps, ring pop candy, police caution tape, straws, utensils -- as well as a single left AirPod.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Olives were like candy to me as a kid.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
At a presentation attended by hundreds of advertisers and dozens of investors, Publicis showcased how the firm helped clients like Coca-Cola and candy maker Mars with their marketing AI transformations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Astronomers have identified two of the fluffiest giant planets ever discovered, with densities so low they are actually less dense than cotton candy.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 27, 2026
“Is there candy in this sack?” she demanded.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Sharma is cutting the number of games Microsoft publishes and is investing more in its most popular franchises, including Minecraft, Candy Crush and Fallout.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Mis-Teeq's second studio album Eye Candy featured what became their best known hit, Scandalous, a more traditional pop-R&B song which also charted in the US after being used in the 2004 film Catwoman.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
He offered the same argument years later during an interview with CNN’s Candy Crowley in 2011.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2026
Jelly Belly’s parent company Ferrara Candy Co. acquired the brand in 2023 and also owns popular candy brands including Nerds and Sweetarts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026
For a long time, when he was smaller, he hadn't understood about the No Candy line.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
"I don't know how long we will be like this," said Stefani Garate, 26, who used to sell coconut candies on the beach.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Researchers figured out how to make convincing replicas of its red, orange and yellow candies using natural ingredients like beets and turmeric.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Chamoy has been used by a lot of modern day food makers and chefs with American nostalgic candies, like peach rings and gummy worms, and my personal favorite, Gushers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Initially it was a hat and shoe repair store, with candies sold from a cart out front as an extra earning stream.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Tip: Use only green apple candies, then dip them in melted caramel and let them rest on wax paper before packaging.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Cake fillings of almond crunch and toasted pecan praline and candied lemon, while jackfruit and palm sugar bring distinct South-East Asian flavours.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026
We feasted on smoked pork belly, which was fatty and fork-tender, smoked brisket, baked beans, and, of course, candied sweet potato with plenty of butter, cinnamon, and sugar.
From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026
Dollops of candied citrus gleam like jewels, Turbinado sugar crowns the loaf with a satisfyingly crackly crust, and the coffee whispers beneath it all, cutting through sweetness and coaxing out the pumpkin’s earthy depth.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025
The company also has seasonal offerings, including a cookie butter latte and a candied cherry energy drink.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2025
Welcoming the little change of scenery, entire families would regularly snack and picnic in the hallways, leaving behind candied fruits and half-eaten tacos.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Some confectioners infuse their candying syrup with botanicals, like bay leaves, rosemary or peppercorns, for added intrigue.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2023
It’s subtle but transformative to know what sugar feels like in your fingers at different stages of candying.
From New York Times ● Dec. 1, 2017
“Some people have a method of candying the roots, and thus prepared they are very pleasant, and may be eaten with good success against coughs and inward soreness.”
From The Cries of London Exhibiting Several of the Itinerant Traders of Antient and Modern Times by Smith, John Thomas
It now assumes the name of “dried peel,” and is stored away in the original orange and lemon boxes, till wanted for candying.
From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, February, 1852 by
By this property, the combs serve also to keep the bees warm, and there is not so much risk of the honey candying in the cells, or the combs cracking with frost.
From Langstroth on the Hive and the Honey-Bee A Bee Keeper's Manual by Langstroth, L. L. (Lorenzo Lorraine)
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.
