treacly

adjective

trea·​cly ˈtrē-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce treacly (audio)
treaclier; treacliest
: resembling treacle (as in quality or appearance)
treacly sentimentality

Examples of treacly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Her watercolors were treacly and her tales too simple-minded and rustic. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024 Frank’s and Charley’s very different definitions of what constitutes a friend offer an astringent alternative to our culture’s sometimes treacly, overly simplistic portrayal of the bond. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024 But his script is typically Irish, imbued with playful jabs and crude humor, and Hewson’s forthright and foul-mouthed performance proves to be the perfect hit of sweet-and-sour acid to offset what could have been impossibly treacly. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2023 The series ends in the most treacly way possible: with the pair kissing on a bridge in Paris. Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2023 The Chinatown salad, with a dressing mysteriously called Far East, was a bit thick and treacly. Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2023 Its structure is too often sloppy, with uneasy transitions from biography to personal digression; its tone is occasionally treacly; its treatment of Converse is hagiographic. Jeremy Lybarger, The New Republic, 24 Apr. 2023 Don't believe the sweet, treacly greetings exchanged between Wind Gap residents for a second — these niceties mask the real dynamics at work. refinery29.com, 5 July 2018 There's nary a believable moment, emotionally or otherwise, in No Postage Necessary, which also suffers from its overly treacly musical score composed by Closshey. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 July 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'treacly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1733, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of treacly was in 1733

Dictionary Entries Near treacly

Cite this Entry

“Treacly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treacly. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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