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.
Chemistry. a member of the same class of carbohydrates, as lactose, glucose, or fructose.
(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).
a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter S.
Slang. money.
Slang. LSD
to cover, sprinkle, mix, or sweeten with sugar.
to make agreeable.
to form sugar or sugar crystals.
to make maple sugar.
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
any of a class of simple water-soluble carbohydrates, such as sucrose, lactose, and fructose
informal a term of affection, esp for one's sweetheart
rare a slang word for money
a slang name for LSD
(tr) to add sugar to; make sweet
(tr) to cover or sprinkle with sugar
(intr) to produce sugar
to make something unpleasant more agreeable by adding something pleasant
the government stopped wage increases but sugared the pill by reducing taxes
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-)
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Start by knowing your numbers, like your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
It’s true that roughly two-thirds of the world’s population has some difficulty digesting lactose, the sugar in milk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Roughly two-thirds of the world’s population has some difficulty digesting the sugar in milk—also known as lactose intolerance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Professor Garvey believes this approach could eventually help patients preserve the health improvements associated with losing weight, including better blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Ella wanted to taste its sugar tuile basket and cotton candy belly.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
Just days after Golding led Ole Miss to an upset win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, Grove Collective and administration leaders met with Chambliss and Lacy between 1 and 4 a.m.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The landmark Domino Sugar factory was gut-renovated and now serves as offices for over 30 A.I. and tech firms.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026
Sugar prices have jumped nearly 40% in the past two months, prompting the government to import 1 million tonnes for the first time in nearly a decade.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
They are unsure they will see Sugar on their streets again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Sugar Shack was an exceptional candy store.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Behind the bar, yeast busily converted sugars into alcohol inside giant stainless steel fermentation tanks.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
Means demanded stricter limits on added sugars, protein in breakfasts and 100% whole grain products, changes that roughly quadrupled the cost.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
"An hour or two of exposure is enough to trigger glycosylation, or the binding of smoke to the sugars in the grapes," said oenology consultant Clement Prelat, who is advising winemakers in the area.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Sodha says that limiting each plant to 750ml of water a day produces "rich, highly concentrated sugars and aromas instead of water-logged, bland fruits".
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
The yeast eats the sugars in bread dough and, as a by-product, gives off carbon dioxide.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
"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
Generations of rockers would strive to replicate the sugared hard rock of the Raspberries but Carmen wound up softening his attack after he parted ways with the group.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 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
In the summer when we picked fresh strawberries, my mother sliced and sugared them, creating a gorgeous ruby-colored syrup, which we spooned over ice cream or yogurt.
From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2023
Fadi inserted his key and pushed open the door to find his parents, Uncle Amin, and Khala Nilufer in the living room, huddled around a pot of tea and sugared almonds.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
"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
What’s unique about this year is the influx of suburban and urban backyard adventurers fueling these maple sugaring highs.
From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2021
But that was dishes and wood-chopping and things like that—not sugaring!
From "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen
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.
