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• sugar
  sugar

  noun

  a sweet, crystalline substance, C 1 2 H 2 2 O 1 1 , obtained chiefly from the juice of the sugarcane and the sugar beet, and present in sorghum, maple sap, etc.: used extensively as an ingredient and flavoring of certain foods and as a fermenting agent in the manufacture of certain alcoholic beverages; sucrose.
• Sugar
  Sugar

  noun

  Alan ( Michael ). Baron. born 1947, British electronics entrepreneur; chairman of Amstrad (1968–2008); noted for his BBC series The Apprentice (from 2005)

sugar

American  

[shoog-er] / ˈʃʊg ər /

noun

sugars plural

1. a sweet, crystalline substance, C 1 2 H 2 2 O 1 1 , obtained chiefly from the juice of the sugarcane and the sugar beet, and present in sorghum, maple sap, etc.: used extensively as an ingredient and flavoring of certain foods and as a fermenting agent in the manufacture of certain alcoholic beverages; sucrose.

2. Chemistry. a member of the same class of carbohydrates, as lactose, glucose, or fructose.

3. (sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address, as to a child or a romantic partner (sometimes offensive when used to strangers, casual acquaintances, subordinates, etc., especially by a male to a female).

4. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter S.

5. Slang. money.

6. Slang. LSD

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verb (used with object)

sugars, present (3rd person singular) sugared, past participle, past sugaring present participle

1. to cover, sprinkle, mix, or sweeten with sugar.

2. to make agreeable.

verb (used without object)

sugars, present (3rd person singular) sugared, past participle, past sugaring present participle

1. to form sugar or sugar crystals.

2. to make maple sugar.

verb phrase

1. sugar off (in making maple sugar) to complete the boiling down of the syrup in preparation for granulation.

sugar ¹ British  

/ ˈʃʊɡə /

noun

1. Also called: sucrose.   saccharose.  a white crystalline sweet carbohydrate, a disaccharide, found in many plants and extracted from sugar cane and sugar beet: it is used esp as a sweetening agent in food and drinks. Formula: C 12 H 22 O 11

2. any of a class of simple water-soluble carbohydrates, such as sucrose, lactose, and fructose

3. informal a term of affection, esp for one's sweetheart

4. rare a slang word for money

5. a slang name for LSD

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verb

1. (tr) to add sugar to; make sweet

2. (tr) to cover or sprinkle with sugar

3. (intr) to produce sugar

4. to make something unpleasant more agreeable by adding something pleasant

   the government stopped wage increases but sugared the pill by reducing taxes

Sugar ² British  

/ ˈʃʊɡə /

noun

1. Alan ( Michael ). Baron. born 1947, British electronics entrepreneur; chairman of Amstrad (1968–2008); noted for his BBC series The Apprentice (from 2005)

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sugar Scientific  

/ shg′ər /

1. Any of a class of crystalline carbohydrates that are water-soluble, have a characteristic sweet taste, and are universally present in animals and plants. They are characterized by the many OH groups they contain. Sugars are monosaccharides or small oligosaccharides, and include sucrose, glucose, and lactose.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsugar
  noun
• sugar-like
  adjective
• sugarless
  adjective
• sugarlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sugars
  plural

Participles

• sugaring
  present
• sugared
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sugar
  simple
• sugars
  simple
• have sugared
  perfect
• has sugared
  perfect
• am sugaring
  progressive
• are sugaring
  progressive
• is sugaring
  progressive
• have been sugaring
  perfect progressive
• has been sugaring
  perfect progressive

Past

• sugared
  simple
• had sugared
  perfect
• was sugaring
  progressive
• were sugaring
  progressive
• had been sugaring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sugar
  simple
• will have sugared
  perfect
• will be sugaring
  progressive
• will have been sugaring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sugar

1250–1300; Middle English sugre, sucre (noun) < Middle French sucre < Medieval Latin succārum < Italian zucchero < Arabic sukkar; obscurely akin to Persian shakar, Greek sákcharon ( see sacchar-)

Explanation

Sugar is the sweet stuff that makes candy and other treats extra delicious, but eating too much of it is bad for you. Sugar isn’t only a food, it’s also an essential part of living cells and a source of energy for all animals. There are two main senses of sugar. First is refined sugar — the crystals that sweeten and preserve many foods. This yummy stuff comes from the sugarcane and sugar beet plants, and really hit the scene in the 18th and 19th centuries when sugar plantations spread and more people could get sugar. The other kind of sugar refers to biochemistry, and these sugars are an important part of the cells of all living things.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sugar Sugar sugars sugared sugaring

The growing popularity of GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus has largely been driven by their ability to help people lose weight, improve blood sugar control, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

The company in April announced a revamp of Gatorade, as well as a rollout of new beverages with more electrolytes, lower sugar and fewer artificial colors.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

The professor of cell biology leading the study, Alejandra Tomas Catala, is studying how gut hormones regulate fullness, blood sugar and behavior to see how GLP-1s can help treat conditions including eating disorders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Lemon-marinated chicken breast is cubed and folded in, while sweet onion gets a quick pickle in lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, sugar and salt until it loses its bite but keeps its snap.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

“Ugh, the rotties tricked me again. Took the sugar and ran.”

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Sugar is often added to drinks for mouthfeel and to cover up the off-putting tastes of functional ingredients.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

Jack Klein, a Trump voter and environmental consultant in Sugar Land, Texas, near Houston, said Trump’s performance “exceeds my highest expectations.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Two years ago, Sugar began as a stylish and moody homage to the black-and-white films of the 1940s and ’50s.

From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2026

Sugar is the one character who can’t easily be traced back to an earlier model.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

“His parents own that new restaurant on Sugar Hill,” Freddy went on.

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore

During photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to convert CO2 and water into sugars while releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

Yeasts first convert sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

Similarly, packaged pancakes and waffles are filled with sugars and are often ultraprocessed, loaded with harmful additives.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 21, 2026

The piñas must get to a pressure cooker within 24 hours, where the sugars can be extracted.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

“Do you want me to get it for you? Black with two sugars, right?”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

"Nah, nah, nah. I used to use sugared hot water, before the days of hair lacquer. And I couldn't afford hair lacquer, anyway."

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2025

The sugared cranberries on top, of course, stole the show.

From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2024

Dip each in the turbinado sugar to coat one side; set sugared side up on the prepared baking sheet, nine per sheet.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 15, 2023

“While he can wag a finger as vigorously as the rest of his Boomer cohort, gentleness and twinkle have always sugared the Croz pill,” Eccleston wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2023

“Would they have paid that for sugared blood?”

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

"The sugaring season has come early this year and is still underway," he said.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2024

But she soon found that before she could provide services for clients, and earn more, she was required to attend trainings on such things as sugaring to remove unwanted hair and lash and brow maintenance.

From Reuters ● Oct. 17, 2022

Van den Berg remains optimistic that technological advances the modern sugaring operation affords can provide a buffer.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2022

Mr. Gregg’s own sugaring exploits started that way in 1997, and he now has over 1,000 taps.

From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2021

Mother said, “You know, Chrissie, I’ve never been here in sugaring season before? I always wanted to, I remember, and Grandma was always insisting. But we could never get here until school was out.”

From "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen

Related Words

• carbohydrate