English Explanatory Dictionary

sugarcoat

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To coat with sugar.
  2. To make superficially more attractive; to give a falsely pleasant appearance to.

Pronunciation

/ˈʃʊɡɚˌkoʊt/ /ˈʃʊɡəˌkəʊt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-sugarcoat.wav

Word forms

sugarcoat sugarcoats sugarcoating sugarcoated sugar coat sugar-coat

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱorkeh₂ Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćárkaraH Proto-Indo-Aryan *śárkaraH Sanskrit शर्क॑रा (śárkarā) Gandhari 𐨭𐨐𐨪 (śakara)bor. Middle Persian 𐭱𐭪𐭥 (šakar)bor. Arabic سُكَّر (sukkar)bor. Old Italian zuccherobor. Old French çucrebor. Middle English sugre English sugar Proto-Germanic *kuttôbor. Latin cotta Old French cottebor. Middle English cote English coat English sugarcoat From sugar + coat; figurative sense from the practice of coating medicinal tablets or pills with sugar in order to disguise their unpleasant taste (sugarcoating the pill).

Synonyms

candy-coat gild gild the pill sugarcoat the pill

Derived words

sugarcoat a bitter pill sugarcoated sugarcoating
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