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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SACCHARINE

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pronounce SACCHARINE:

Say it "SACK uh rin."

To hear it, click here.

connect this word to others:


When you're describing things that are way too sweet, you can call them saccharine, or t___cly , or c___ing.

Can you recall those two synonyms?

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

We took the word "saccharine" from a Latin one meaning "sugar," but we can trace it all the way back to the Sanskrit sarkara, meaning "grit or gravel."

Literally speaking, saccharine is sugar. And saccharine things are made of sugar.

Figuratively speaking, saccharine things are overly sweet. In other words, to be saccharine is to be too sentimental, or too lovey-dovey.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "a saccharine story;" "they dismissed the story as saccharine."

Other forms: 
 
The noun is "saccharinity."

There's an alternate adjective, "saccharined," that you might pick if you want to emphasize how something has become sweeter, as if sugar has been added to it.

how to use it:

It's important to note that our word "saccharine" looks almost exactly like the word "saccharin," meaning "fake sugar" or "the anhydride of saccharic acid." Probably because of this resemblance, our word "saccharine" itself has a scientific, chemical tone.

So, pick it when you need to maintain a serious, dignified tone while describing something whose sweetness disgusts you.

You might talk about saccharine voices, music, advertisements, comments, movies, TV shows, books, artwork, etc.

examples:

"[Cake pops] taste awful — it is a saccharine agglomeration of cake crumbs and icing, after all — yet are extremely popular."
   — Keith A. Spencer, Salon, 15 December 2019

"The literature of the minimalist lifestyle is an exercise in banality. It is saccharine and predigested, presented as self-help as much as a practical how-to guide."

   — Kyle Chayka, The Guardian, 3 January 2020

has this page helped you understand "saccharine"?

   

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.




study it:

Explain the meaning of "saccharine" without saying "syrupy" or "mushy."

try it out:

Think of a song, a poem, or a movie that's so sweet it's gross.

Describe it like this: "_____ is dripping with saccharine _____."

Example: "Chicken Soup for Soul is dripping with saccharine tales of kind strangers and inspiring teachers."




before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Polygon of Predestination!"

With a high five to TheWordFinder.com for its puzzle generator, I'm Pat-Sajacking that spin-the-wheel game from TV. Apply your alliterative acumen to solve the puzzle. The category all month long is: "Beastly Blunders and Criminal Capers."

From the previous issue:


This one is, aptly, old as dirt. It dates to 1570: "To much amplifying thinges yt be but small, makyng mountaines of Molehils."

Try this one today:


Not sure yet? Need to see a bit more? Click here.

review this word:

1. A few opposites of SACCHARINE include

A. SNIPPY and DISAGREEABLE.
B. CALLOUS and MATTER-OF-FACT.
C. FACTUAL and EVIDENCE-BASED.

2. The song is full of catchy, saccharine nonsense, like "_____."


A. Confetti falls to the ground
B. The cynics were outraged, screaming
C. Long live all the mountains we moved




Answers to review questions:
1. B
2. C



a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
   36 ways to study words.
   Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
   How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.

To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.


Disclaimer:
When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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