sugarcoat
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cover with sugar.
to sugarcoat a pill.
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to make (something difficult or distasteful) appear more pleasant or acceptable.
There was no way to sugarcoat the bad news.
Etymology
Origin of sugarcoat
Vocabulary lists containing sugarcoat
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. This is ultimately not what I wanted,” Tong said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Allison Ellsworth doesn’t sugarcoat the sacrifices required to build a successful business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
As amiable as the movie is from the jump, it wastes no time thrusting viewers into a world in complete peril, refusing to sugarcoat the modern realities of a once-robust industry.
From Salon ● May 1, 2026
"He's not well. I'm not going to sugarcoat this and say that he's doing really well, he's still really unwell," she told her followers.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
Teresa helped him, and Thomas asked her to sugarcoat the trip as much as she could, even if she had to flat-out lie, which was mostly the case.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
