SUGARCOAT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sugarcoat mean? 

• SUGARCOAT (verb)
  The verb SUGARCOAT has 2 senses:

1. coat with something sweet, such as a hard sugar glaze

2. cause to appear more pleasant or appealing

  Familiarity information: SUGARCOAT used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SUGARCOAT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they sugarcoat    ... he / she / it sugarcoats   
Past simple: sugarcoated   
Past participle: sugarcoated   
-ing form: sugarcoating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Coat with something sweet, such as a hard sugar glaze

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

candy; glaze; sugarcoat

Hypernyms (to "sugarcoat" is one way to...):

dulcify; dulcorate; edulcorate; sweeten (make sweeter in taste)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause to appear more pleasant or appealing

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

The mayor did not sugarcoat the reality of the tax cuts

Hypernyms (to "sugarcoat" is one way to...):

spin (twist and turn so as to give an intended interpretation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something