sundae

American  

[suhn-dey, -dee] / ˈsʌn deɪ, -di /

noun

sundaes plural

1. ice cream served with syrup poured over it, and often other toppings, as whipped cream, chopped nuts, or fruit.

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sundae British  

/ ˈsʌndɪ, -deɪ /

noun

1. ice cream topped with a sweet sauce, nuts, whipped cream, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sundaes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sundae

1890–95, perhaps special use of Sunday (with distinctive spelling)

Explanation

A sundae is a delicious ice cream concoction that might include hot fudge or caramel sauce, nuts, and whipped cream. You can order a sundae any day of the week. When you put ice cream in a dish, drip a sweet topping over it (like strawberry sauce or chocolate syrup), and add a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry, you've got a sundae. There are several competing stories about the origin of the sundae (and its name). One is that Illinois' outlawing of soda drinking on Sundays led to the dessert's invention. Several towns claim to be the sundae's birthplace, including New York City; Plainfield, Illinois; and New Orleans.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sundae sundaes

I always love to have a decaf espresso with dessert, which is either a brownie sundae or banana pudding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026

Champagne, an ice-cream sundae cart and Saks Fifth Avenue bedding were scrumptious.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

One standout sundae, cheekily titled No Mamey's, features Roasty + Toasty Ice Cream from Little Fox—made with toasted brioche cream, parmesan crisps, and a mascarpone swirl.

From Salon ● May 24, 2025

And one of my favorite things to have — and it’s been this way for a long time — is a hot fudge sundae.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2024

“How about a sundae? Sprinkles, strawberry syrup, whipped cream.”

From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas

The chain was founded in Wichita, Kan., in 2002 and is known for its burgers, fries, cheese curds and sundaes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

And despite his citations and medals and his efforts to move up in the world, Fred, a soda jerk before the war, is once again dishing up sundaes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025

The change came months after Mr. McDonald and a group of state party officials were invited to Mar-a-Lago, where they were treated to an hourslong meal that concluded with ice cream sundaes.

From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2024

"I'm happier when I'm eating hot fudge sundaes or drinking Coke."

From Reuters ● Nov. 22, 2023

We ate ice cream sundaes instead of dinner.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff