1
a
: a sweet crystallizable material that consists wholly or essentially of sucrose, is colorless or white when pure tending to brown when less refined, is obtained commercially from sugarcane or sugar beet and less extensively from sorghum, maples, and palms, and is important as a source of dietary carbohydrate and as a sweetener and preservative of other foods
b
: any of various water-soluble compounds that vary widely in sweetness, include the monosaccharides and oligosaccharides, and typically are optically active
2
: a unit (such as a spoonful, cube, or lump) of sugar
3
: a sugar bowl
sugared; sugaring
ˈshu̇-g(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to make palatable or attractive : sweeten
a story sugared with romance
2
: to sprinkle or mix with sugar
1
: to form or be converted into sugar
2
: to become granular
3
: to make maple syrup or maple sugar
Examples of sugar in a Sentence
Noun
Would you pass the sugar, please?
Do you take sugar in your coffee?
Coffee with two sugars and milk, please.
Verb
The clean fruit is then dried and sugared.
They've been sugaring since they were children.
Recent Examples on the Web
Elizabeth Barnes, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2024
When the rationing of sugar and sweets ended in September 1953, the average adult’s daily sugar consumption in the UK nearly doubled almost immediately, from about 40 grams to 80 grams.
—Sam Tupper, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024
Lisa Donovan, New York Times, 15 May 2024
The two types of sugaring wax make this kit highly versatile for both fine and thick hair removal.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sugar 
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Prebiotics are sugars that are used as energy sources for organisms in the gut.1 Products that contain both prebiotics and probiotics are known as synbiotics.
—Elizabeth Barnes, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2024
When the rationing of sugar and sweets ended in September 1953, the average adult’s daily sugar consumption in the UK nearly doubled almost immediately, from about 40 grams to 80 grams.
—Sam Tupper, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
My original was built around those incredible Louisiana strawberries, roasted at high heat and sugared lightly to protect their flavor.
—Lisa Donovan, New York Times, 15 May 2024
The two types of sugaring wax make this kit highly versatile for both fine and thick hair removal.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 15 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sugar
Dictionary Entries Near sugar
Cite this Entry
“Sugar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sugar. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sugar
1 of 2 noun
sug·ar
ˈshu̇g-ər
1
: a sweet substance that is made up wholly or mostly of sucrose, is colorless or white when pure, is obtained from plants (as sugarcane or sugar beets), is a source of dietary carbohydrate, and is used as a sweetener and preservative of other foods
2
: any of various water-soluble compounds that vary widely in sweetness and make up the simpler carbohydrates
sugar
2 of 2 verb
sugared; sugaring
ˈshu̇g-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to make something less hard to take or put up with
sugar advice with praise
2
: to sprinkle or mix with sugar
3
: to change to crystals of sugar
candy sugars when cooked too long
4
: to make maple syrup or maple sugar
Medical Definition
sugar
noun
sug·ar
ˈshu̇g-ər
1
: a sweet crystallizable substance that consists chiefly of sucrose, is colorless or white when pure and tending to brown when less refined, is obtained commercially from sugarcane or sugar beet and less extensively from sorghum, maples, and palms, and is important as a source of dietary carbohydrate and as a sweetener and preservative for other foods and for drugs and in the chemical industry as an intermediate
2
: any of various water-soluble compounds that vary widely in sweetness and comprise the oligosaccharides including sucrose
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