Used in a literal sense, to sugarcoat something, such as a desert or a pill, means to coat it in a thin layer of sugar and thus render it sweeter or more palatable. The term has been used figuratively since the latter half of the 1800s.
Meaning of Idiom ‘Sugarcoat’
To sugarcoat something means to explain or present it in a way that makes it seem more positive or pleasant than it really is; to attempt to make a subject more acceptable or less fraught or complicated by presenting it in a pleasant and inaccurate way; to leave out some of the more unpleasant facts when explaining something. 1“Sugarcoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sugarcoat. Accessed 23 May. 2021.,2(Definition of sugarcoat from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
Sentence Examples
“Don’t sugarcoat it, Doc. Give it to me straight.”
“They released an ad that sugarcoated the insurrection, calling it a typical demonstration.”
“The leader was accused of sugarcoating the extent of damage caused by the nuclear accident.”
“There is no way to sugarcoat it. We are going out of business.”
“Don’t sugarcoat the truth! You sold us out!”
Origin
Used since the latter part of the 1800s.
This idiom alludes to the above-mentioned coating of pills with sugar to make them more palatable.
