sugarcoat

[ shoog-er-koht ]

/ ˈʃʊg ərˌkoʊt /

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See synonyms for: sugarcoat / sugarcoated on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to cover with sugar: to sugarcoat a pill.

to make (something difficult or distasteful) appear more pleasant or acceptable: There was no way to sugarcoat the bad news.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of sugarcoat

First recorded in 1865–70; sugar + coat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sugarcoat in a sentence

Well, there's no way to sugar-coat 80,000 jobs, so I won't even try.
Jobs Numbers: Conservatives, This Thread's For You|Michael Tomasky|July 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I think they had a lot of trust for me because I never tried to sugar-coat it.
Suzy Welch's Decision-Making Secrets|Tina Brown|April 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Learning had put on, as it were, a sugar coat for pleasant swallowing.
Hints to Pilgrims|Charles Stephen Brooks
Lester realized that this was an asinine attempt to sugar-coat the true story and it made him angry.
Jennie Gerhardt|Theodore Dreiser

(b) The Story with a Moral attempts to sugar-coat its sermon with a little narrative.
Short Story Writing|Charles Raymond Barrett
"It isn't necessary to sugar coat the pill, parson," smiled Frank.
Frank Merriwell's Son|Burt L. Standish
You understand very well, too, how to sugar-coat the most bitter pills.
Letters to an Unknown|Prosper Mrime

British Dictionary definitions for sugarcoat

sugar-coat

verb (tr)

to coat or cover with sugar

to cause to appear more attractive; make agreeable

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sugarcoat

Origin of sugarcoat

Words related to sugarcoat

How to use sugarcoat in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sugarcoat