# sugar

/ˈʃʊɡɝ/ (US) · /ʃˈʊɡɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sugar
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. sweet food substance

noun · CEFR A1

a sweet substance that comes from plants, used to make food and drinks taste better.

For teachers: a sweet, crystalline substance, primarily sucrose, extracted from sugar cane or sugar beet.

- Do you take sugar in your coffee or do you prefer it black?
- The recipe requires two cups of granulated sugar to achieve the correct texture and sweetness in the sponge cake.

### 2. carbohydrates

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a type of substance your body uses for energy, found in many foods.

For teachers: any of a class of water-soluble crystalline carbohydrates, including sucrose, glucose, and fructose.

- Fruit contains natural sugars that give you a quick energy boost.
- The biologist explained how the plant converts sunlight into simple sugars through the process of photosynthesis.

### 3. term of endearment

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a kind name you call someone you love or like, such as a partner or a child.

For teachers: a term of endearment used to address a person one likes or loves.

- Give me a hug, sugar, it is so good to see you.
- In many parts of the American South, it is common for strangers to address one another as sugar in casual conversation.

### 4. programming syntax

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

extra code that makes a programming language easier for humans to read and write.

For teachers: syntax within a programming language that is designed to make things easier to read or to express.

- This new version of the language adds some nice sugar for handling lists.
- While the compiler treats both forms identically, the syntactic sugar makes the codebase significantly more maintainable for the engineering team.

### 5. to sweeten

verb · CEFR B1

to add sugar to food or a drink.

For teachers: to sweeten something by adding sugar.

- She sugared her tea and stirred it slowly with a silver spoon.
- The chef lightly sugared the tart berries to balance their natural acidity before serving them with cream.

### 6. to make something pleasant

verb · CEFR B2

to make something difficult or bad seem better than it really is.

For teachers: to make something unpleasant or blunt seem more acceptable or attractive.

- There is no point trying to sugar the news; the company is closing.
- The politician attempted to sugar the tax increase by promising it would only affect the wealthiest citizens.

### 7. polite frustration

interjection · CEFR B1 · Informal · British English

a word you say when you are slightly annoyed or have made a small mistake.

For teachers: a mild exclamation of annoyance or surprise, used as a polite substitute for a swear word.

- Oh sugar, I have forgotten my keys again.
- Sugar, I think I just missed the last train home for the evening.

## Examples

- I take two spoons of sugar in my coffee.
- Many processed foods contain high amounts of added sugar to improve their flavour and shelf life.
- The global trade in sugar historically shaped colonial economies and continues to be a major factor in international agricultural policy and public health debates.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.