Added 10 October 2026
sugarcoat
/ˈʃʊɡɚˌkoʊt/ verb
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sugarcoat at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- To coat with sugar.
-
To make superficially more attractive; to give a falsely pleasant appearance to.
There's no way to sugarcoat the loss of the space shuttle: it was an unmitigated disaster.
Origin
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).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)