saccharine
/'sækərain/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Excessively or artificially sweet: Describes a taste or flavor that is overly sweet, often in an unpleasant or cloying way.
- Excessively sentimental or ingratiating: Describes a manner, tone, or expression that is overly sweet, affectionate, or flattering in a way that seems insincere or exaggerated.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (Taste):
- The frosting was so saccharine that it made my teeth ache.
- I prefer dark chocolate; milk chocolate is too saccharine for my taste.
- Adjective (Manner/Sentiment):
- Her saccharine compliments made everyone uncomfortable.
- The movie's ending was criticized for being overly saccharine and unrealistic.
Advanced Usage
- Used as a metaphor: Often used to criticize art, language, or behavior that is perceived as lacking depth or sincerity due to excessive sentimentality.
- The politician's speech was dismissed as saccharine rhetoric.
- In formal/critical writing: Commonly appears in reviews (of films, books, music) to denote an excess of sentimental sweetness.
- The novel's portrayal of rural life was charming but bordered on the saccharine.
Variants and Related Words
- Saccharin (noun): A synthetic, non-nutritive sweetener. (Note: This is a different, though related, word.)
- Some people use saccharin as a sugar substitute.
- Saccharinity (noun, rare): The quality of being saccharine.
- The saccharinity of the poem was off-putting to some readers.
Synonyms
- Cloying: Unpleasantly sweet or sentimental.
- Syrupy: Excessively sentimental or sweet.
- Treacly: Excessively sweet or sentimental (chiefly British).
- Mawkish: Sentimental in a feeble or sickly way.
- Ingratiating: Intended to gain approval or favor, often excessively so.
Antonyms
- Bitter: Having a sharp, pungent taste or tone.
- Acerbic: Sharp and forthright in speech or tone.
- Unsweetened: Not made sweet.
- Genuine: Truly what something is said to be; authentic and sincere.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Saccharine sweet: An emphatic form highlighting the excessive, often fake, quality of the sweetness.
- Her apology was saccharine sweet and convinced no one.
- To lay on the saccharine: To apply excessive sentiment or flattery.
- The advertisement lays on the saccharine with images of puppies and laughing children.