sugarcoat

verb

sug·​ar·​coat ˈshu̇-gər-ˌkōt How to pronounce sugarcoat (audio)
sugarcoated; sugarcoating; sugarcoats

transitive verb

1
: to coat with sugar
2
: to make superficially attractive or palatable

Examples of sugarcoat in a Sentence

She has very strong opinions, and she doesn't try to sugarcoat them.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To sugarcoat his perspective in order to make nice and be invited to galas. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025 Get ready for a ‘Category 5 Price Storm’ Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives is not sugarcoating the upcoming economic forecast for U.S. consumers. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 9 Apr. 2025 And stop sugarcoating economic malaise as the cure America needs. Noah Rothman, National Review, 2 May 2025 As Mars and the North Node harmonize, don’t sugarcoat your message. Usa Today, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sugarcoat

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from sugarcoated

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sugarcoat was in 1858

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sugarcoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sugarcoat. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

sugarcoat

verb
sug·​ar·​coat ˌshu̇g-ər-ˈkōt How to pronounce sugarcoat (audio)
: to coat with or as if with sugar

More from Merriam-Webster on sugarcoat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!