treacly

[ tree-klee ]

/ ˈtri kli /

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adjective

sentimental in a contrived or unrestrained way:The stories too often feature clichéd piffle and end with treacly flourishes.

British. resembling molasses mixed with corn syrup in taste, color, texture, etc.:The chestnut honey has a sweet, treacly taste with an earthy, nutty aroma.We spent a delicious hour inhaling the treacly light of late afternoon.

QUIZ

TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of treacly

treacl(e) + -y¹

Words nearby treacly

TRC, treacherous, treachery, treacle, treacle mustard, treacly, tread, treadle, treadmill, tread the boards, tread water

How to use treacly in a sentence

The writers of aphoristic treacle are no more innocent than the purveyors of sugary drinks.
Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Archer’ aims for profundity but misses|Ron Charles|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
And we all remember good-but-overpraised songs like If I Had a Hammer and the treacly classic Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
The Death of 'Stalin's Songbird'|Michael Moynihan|January 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Screw those treacly holiday offerings aiming to melt your heart or lift your spirits.
Sarah Palin Serves Up a Healthy Serving of Venom in Her Christmas Book|Michelle Cottle|November 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Here was this anti-war holiday demoted to treacly sentimentality.
Mother’s Day 2013: Gloria Steinem, Erica Jong & Writers Thank Their Moms|Gloria Steinem, Erica Jong, Fay Weldon, Dalma Heyn, Joyce Maynard|May 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST

It avoids that treacly, touchy-feely ground on which Democrats so love to walk.
Michael Tomasky: With Joe Biden’s Speech, The Democrats Finally Man Up|Michael Tomasky|April 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It was improving and patronising and treacly, and full of information, partly about the lectures, but mostly about himself.
The Romance of His Life|Mary Cholmondeley
The thick treacly liquid is thus drawn out into a thread of such fineness that a microscope is necessary to find it with.
Marvels of Scientific Invention|Thomas W. Corbin
His eyes sought answer from the river and saw a rowboat rock at anchor on the treacly swells lazily its plastered board.
Ulysses|James Joyce
The glaze is treacly black, often applied unevenly and sometimes pitted with air bubbles.
The Cultural History of Marlborough, Virginia|C. Malcolm Watkins
The sugar in those days was the dark, treacly kind, that left a stain on the floor like blood; it came in casks.
Early Days in North Queensland|Edward Palmer