sugary

adjective

sug·​ary ˈshu̇-g(ə-)rē 

1

a

: exaggeratedly sweet : honeyed

… his sugary deprecating voice.

—D. H. Lawrence

b

: cloyingly sweet : sentimental

2

: containing, resembling, or tasting of sugar

Synonyms of sugary

• sentimental
• sticky
• sloppy
• saccharine
• gooey

Examples of sugary in a Sentence

writes sugary lyrics for singers of country music

Recent Examples on the Web

But a key question has been how profoundly the bans would affect public health, with some economists arguing that people would just use other funds to buy Coke and other sugary drinks instead. — Sarah Todd, STAT, 24 Aug. 2026

Grown-up gourmands No offense to toddlers, but our palates have evolved beyond sugary fruit snacks. — Loren Savini, Allure, 22 Aug. 2026

Modern organisms use metabolic energy (for example, via burning a candy bar’s sugary calories) to make the molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a universal energy store in the biosphere that is derived from phosphates. — Philip Ball, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026

Consuming a sugary drink a day may significantly raise the risk of developing stomach cancer, according to new research from Mass General Brigham. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

sugary

adjective

sug·​ary ˈshu̇g-(ə-)rē 

1

: too sweetly sentimental

2

: containing, resembling, or tasting of sugar