sugar
sugar
Pronunciation
First Syllable (/ˈʃʊ/):
/ʃ/ - voiceless postalveolar fricative (like the "sh" in "shoe")
/ʊ/ - near-close near-back rounded vowel (like the "oo" in "book")
Second Syllable (/ɡər/):
/ɡ/ - voiced velar plosive (like the "g" in "go")
/ər/ - r-colored vowel or schwa with r-coloring (like the "er" in "butter")
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: sugar
Plural Noun: sugars (when referring to different types or packets of sugar)
Uncountable Noun: sugar (most common use, referring to the substance itself)
Verb (base form): sugar
Verb (third-person singular present): sugars
Verb (present participle): sugaring
Verb (past tense/past participle): sugared
Adjective: sugary (derived form, not a direct variation of "sugar" itself)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A sweet, crystalline substance, chemically a carbohydrate, that is commonly used as a sweetener in food and drink. It is primarily derived from sugarcane or sugar beets.
Synonyms: sucrose, sweetener, saccharine (less common for the substance itself)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for the substance itself, as it's a fundamental chemical compound. One might consider "unsweetened" for a descriptive antonym.)
Definition 2: (Plural) Various types of sweet carbohydrates, such as glucose, fructose, and lactose, that are naturally present in foods or added to them.
Synonyms: carbohydrates, saccharides
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms)
Definition 3: (Figurative/Informal) A term of endearment or affection used for a loved one, especially a romantic partner or child.
Synonyms: darling, honey, sweetie, dear
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it's a term of affection)
Verb
Definition 1: To sweeten, coat, or sprinkle with sugar.
Synonyms: sweeten, glaze, candy, frost
Antonyms: unsweeten, bitter (in the sense of making something less sweet)
Definition 2: (Often with "up") To make something more appealing or palatable, especially by adding superficial attractiveness or by being overly polite.
Synonyms: sweeten, embellish, mollify, gild
Antonyms: sour, taint, spoil, detract
Examples of Use
Books:
"He poured two spoonfuls of sugar into his coffee, stirring until it dissolved." (From The Midnight Library by Matt Haig)
"The children were promised a treat if they finished their vegetables, a small bowl of fruit with a sprinkle of sugar." (From Where the Crawlies Sing by Delia Owens)
Newspapers:
"New regulations aim to reduce the sugar content in processed foods, a move welcomed by health advocates." (The Guardian)
"Local bakeries are seeing a surge in demand for low-sugar options as consumers become more health-conscious." (Daily Nation)
Online Publications:
"Is too much sugar making us sick? A deep dive into the science of added sweeteners." (From an article on WebMD)
"How to make perfect candied pecans: The secret is in the melted sugar." (From a recipe blog on Allrecipes.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Music: "Sugar, ah honey honey / You are my candy girl..." (From the song "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies, 1969)
Film: In the movie Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins famously says, "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." (1964)
Television: "The contestants were tasked with creating a dessert that incorporated a unique form of sugar, such as muscovado or demerara." (From a cooking competition show, MasterChef, a recent season)
Video Games: In many simulation games, "sugar cane" is a crop that can be harvested to produce "sugar" as a resource for crafting or selling. (e.g., Stardew Valley, 2016)
General Public Discourse:
"Could you pass the sugar, please? I like my tea sweet." (Common request at a dinner table)
"Oh, sugar! I completely forgot about that appointment!" (An exclamation of mild frustration)
"He tried to sugar-coat the bad news, but everyone could tell it was serious." (Describing an attempt to make something seem better than it is)
"My little niece is such a sugar – always giving me hugs." (Using "sugar" as a term of endearment)
10 Quotes Using Sugar
"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." (Mary Poppins, 1964 film)
"If God hadn't meant for us to eat sugar, he wouldn't have invented dentists." (Ralph Nader)
"Life would pall if it were all sugar; salt is bitter if taken by itself; but when tasted as part of the dish, it savours the meat." (Robert Baden-Powell)
"Everybody's got their poison, and mine is sugar." (Derrick Rose)
"A wise woman puts a grain of sugar into everything she says to a man, and takes a grain of salt with everything he says to her." (Helen Rowland)
"Ecstasy is a glass full of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth." (Alexander Pushkin)
"I fought Sugar Ray Robinson so many times, it's a wonder I don't have diabetes." (Jake LaMotta)
"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— / And then run? / Does it stink like rotten meat? / Or crust and sugar over— / like a syrupy sweet?" (Langston Hughes, "Harlem")
"The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun." (John D. Rockefeller)
"If you needed to borrow a cup of sugar, you knocked on your neighbour's door." (Gaby Hoffmann)
Etymology
The word "sugar" has a long and interesting journey through different languages!
It all started in ancient India, where sugarcane was first grown. The original word for what we now call "sugar" was in Sanskrit, which is an ancient Indian language. The Sanskrit word was śarkarā, and it meant "ground or candied sugar," or even more basically, "grit" or "gravel," likely referring to the crystalline nature of sugar.
From Sanskrit, the word traveled to Persian as shakar, and then to Arabic as sukkar. The Arabs were very important in spreading sugar cultivation and its products to the West.
From Arabic, the word made its way into Medieval Latin as succarum. From there, it went into Old French around the 12th century as sucre.
Finally, from Old French, we get the English word "sugar." The earliest known use of "sugar" in English as a noun, referring to the sweet crystalline substance, dates back to around the late 13th century (specifically, around 1299 according to the Oxford English Dictionary). So, its meaning from the very beginning was consistently about this sweet substance, even as the word itself changed slightly from language to language.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Sugar
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "sugar":
Sugar-coat: To make something unpleasant seem more appealing or acceptable.
Sugar daddy: An older, wealthy man who spends lavishly on a younger woman or man in exchange for companionship or intimacy.
Sugar plum fairy: A magical character, often associated with Christmas and sweet dreams.
Sugar and spice and everything nice: A phrase often used to describe girls or something charming and pleasant.
Sweet as sugar: Extremely sweet or very pleasant and agreeable.
Give me some sugar: An informal request for a kiss or affectionate hug.
Sugar rush: A sudden burst of energy or hyperactivity supposedly caused by consuming too much sugar.
Brown sugar: (Referring to a person) A term of endearment, often used for someone attractive or beloved.
To sugar off: (Canadian English, historical) To boil down maple sap into sugar.
Pour sugar on it: To add something pleasant or positive to a situation, often to improve it.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of sugar from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
