adjective

saccharine

SAK-uh-rin/ˈsækərɪn/

Having a sugary sweetness.

The sugar syrup gives the dessert a saccharine sweetness.

Sugar is added to syrup while a spoon pours syrup over a dessert.

Etymology

Originally meaning “of or like sugar,” saccharine shifted from literal sweetness to excessive emotional sweetness. Sentiment described this way is cloying rather than simply pleasant.

In context

Beyond the Headlines 00:07

For decades, the name Lawrence Welk was synonymous with a saccharine bubblegum reality, a perpetual smile framed by the rhythmic

What They Found In Lawrence Welk's Personal Archive Has Researchers SHOCKED!

More examples

A squeeze of lemon balances the drink's saccharine flavor.
I find these candied cherries too saccharine.
Even a small spoonful of the saccharine syrup is enough.

Forms

saccharine

Similar words

sweet: Describes a sugary taste without suggesting that it is excessive.
sugary: Often suggests actual sugar content, not just a sweet taste.
cloying: Emphasizes sweetness so excessive that it becomes unpleasant.