saccharine

adjective

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 noun

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Every mini-adventure is neatly aligned with one another, and even the predictably sweet ending is saved from becoming too saccharine by a callback to the many, many shades of white available for a dryer. Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2024 Whether one finds this uplifting or eye-rolling is a matter of taste, and cynics will likely find Flanagan’s latest far too saccharine for theirs. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2024 Jeffrey and Sandy Williams, portrayed by Laura Dern, on the other hand, at times deliver dialogue that borders on saccharine goodness. Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024 Katie Bain: Again, no shade, but Coldplay’s sound has been more or less sonically consistent (bright, hopeful, sophisticated and pop-adjacent without ever being overly saccharine or overtly challenging) and thus generally palatable for a very wide, very global audience. Katie Bain, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for saccharine 

Word History

Etymology

Latin saccharum

First Known Use

circa 1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of saccharine was circa 1674

Dictionary Entries Near saccharine

Cite this Entry

“Saccharine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saccharine. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

saccharine

adjective
sac·​cha·​rine ˈsak-(ə-)rən How to pronounce saccharine (audio)
-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

More from Merriam-Webster on saccharine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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