saccharine

adjective

sac·​cha·​rine ˈsa-k(ə-)rən  -kə-ˌrēn  -kə-ˌrīn 

1

a

: of, relating to, or resembling that of sugar

saccharine taste

b

: yielding or containing sugar

saccharine vegetables

2

: overly or sickishly sweet

saccharine flavor

3

: ingratiatingly or affectedly agreeable or friendly

4

: overly sentimental : mawkish

a saccharine love story

saccharinity

ˌsa-kə-ˈri-nə-tē 

noun

Synonyms

• chocolate-box
• cloying
• corny
• drippy
• fruity
• gooey
• lovey-dovey
• maudlin
• mawkish
• mushy
• novelettish
• sappy
• schmaltzy
• sentimental
• sloppy
• slushy
• soppy
• soupy
• spoony
• spooney
• sticky
• sugarcoated
• sugary
• wet

Examples of saccharine in a Sentence

the movie was funny, but it had a saccharine ending in which everyone lives happily ever after

Recent Examples on the Web

There is always the wide-brim sun hat, which brings a real level of drama and panache to every occasion—and can be subverted from its saccharine ways—just look at how Alessandro Michele paired his at Valentino with a pair of groovy trousers and an opulent cropped jacket on the runway. —Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 5 June 2025

Despite that high percentage of rye, this bourbon reads as quite sweet on the palate—never saccharine, to be clear, but pleasantly so with notes of vanilla, flamed custard, maple, brown sugar, and milk and dark chocolate. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 1 June 2025

When used in perfumes, nutty notes like pistachio add a creamy, uplifting quality that evokes a favorite childhood dessert without coming off as overly saccharine or juvenile. —Venus Wong, Refinery29, 1 Apr. 2025

Critics saw in these sermons superficial, saccharine notes divorced from scripture. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin saccharum

First Known Use

circa 1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for saccharine

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine

Kids Definition

saccharine

adjective

sac·​cha·​rine ˈsak-(ə-)rən 

-ə-ˌrēn,

-ə-ˌrīn

1

a

: of, relating to, or resembling sugar or its characteristics

saccharine taste

b

: producing or containing sugar

saccharine fluids

2

: overly sweet

a saccharine smile

Medical Definition

saccharine

adjective

sac·​cha·​rine

ˈsak-(ə-)rən also -ə-ˌrēn or -ə-ˌrīn

1

a

: of, relating to, or resembling that of sugar

saccharine taste

b

: yielding or containing sugar

a saccharine fluid

2

: overly or sickeningly sweet

saccharine flavor