verb
sugarcoat
SHUU-guh-koht
verb
1
To make something unpleasant seem more acceptable or attractive than it really is.
"The manager tried to sugarcoat the bad news about layoffs."
"Don't sugarcoat it — just tell me what went wrong."
How to Use Sugarcoat
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo soften bad news or make something unpleasant sound better than it is.
Common pairings
sugarcoat the truth
don't sugarcoat it
Word Forms
sugarcoated past tense, sugarcoats singular
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The manager tried to _____ the bad news about layoffs.
Etymology
From sugar plus coat, based on the old practice of coating bitter medicine tablets in sugar to hide the taste.