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syrupy

syrupy

3 3.7
Too sweet in taste or feeling, often sounding not sincere
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɪrəpi/
translation icon : empalagoso
  • The dessert was too syrupy for my taste, making it hard to enjoy.
  • syrupy sweet
  • syrupy sweetness
  • syrupy love ballad

It is satisfying and it like a it's syrupy and Slurpee.

Examples

  • She spoke in a syrupy tone that felt insincere and overdone.

  • We were bummed out by all the syrupy drinks and wanted to do something different," he said.

    Blog text (1)
  • "Come ON, Louis," Martin wheedled into the phone in his most syrupy voice.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Her eyes never left those ghastly ink arcs, and her tone was all syrupy concern.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • But romance that is romantic and heartfelt, but not so syrupy that it gives its readers diabetes, is so much harder to write.

    Blog text (30)
  • With his lower lip thrust out, he romances Tina in a deep, syrupy French voice.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • From somewhere within the wind comes the tinkly, syrupy-sweet sounds of the Lennon Sisters singing "My Favorite Things."

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Cecilia Payne's autobiography is often charming, but it suffers at points from a personal reserve and a syrupy sweetness that I find unconvincing.

    Academic text (1993)
  • It was sticky stuff—three months of obsessiveness condensed into ten pages of syrupy sentimentality.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Singer Christine Aprile's tender vocal lays an elegant, Sade-esque layer atop Silent Diane's syrupy sheen.

    Blog text (10)

Synonyms

sweet
vssyrupy
611 1.0

Having a taste like sugar, as in candy

is excessive in taste or feeling and often described by a syrup image
sugary
vssyrupy
31 1.0

Tasting very sweet because it has a lot of sugar

is excessive or sentimental and suggests thick syrup like sweetness rather than plain sugar
saccharine
vssyrupy
5 7.9

Being too sweet or emotional in a way that seems false

is similar but emphasises resembling syrup like sweetness rather than mere insincerity
cloying
vssyrupy
3 8.2

Too sweet or emotional in a way that makes you feel sick

is excessive too but framed as resembling thick syrup rather than general richness
sugar-coated
vssyrupy
3 2.5

Has sugar on the outside to make it sweet and not sticky

is about excessive sweetness or sentiment rather than literal coating or preservation
treacly
vssyrupy
1 8.1

Too sweet or emotional in a way that feels false

is excessive too but named for resembling ordinary syrup rather than treacle
candy-like
vssyrupy
  • US
1 3.6

Looks or tastes sweet and bright like candy

is focused on candy resemblance while the key stresses thick syrup like excess
overly sugary
vssyrupy
3.7

Having too much sugar in taste or feeling too emotional

is the same but explicitly uses the image of syrup
marshmallowy
vssyrupy
  • Informal
6.3

Too sweet and sentimental in tone or style

is more about thick syrup like sweetness than a soft sentimental tone
goopy
vssyrupy
  • Informal
7.6

Too emotional and sweet in a way that feels fake

is excessive too but emphasises syrup like sweetness rather than emotional display
supersweet
vssyrupy
  • Informal
3.5

Very sugary in taste or very friendly and kind in personality

is similarly extreme but often evokes thick syrup like quality and feeling
nectarous
vssyrupy
  • Literature
8.4

Very sweet and nice to taste and smell

is excessive and often negative rather than simply pleasing and fragrant
candylike
vssyrupy
3.2

Tasting, smelling, or looking like candy

is similar but highlights excessive sweetness and a thick syrup like quality

Antonyms

81 1.0

Having a sharp, unpleasant taste that is not sweet

47 3.9

Very strong and unpleasant to the senses, like bright light or bitter taste

4 1.0

A food or drink that has a sharp taste

Compounds

A voice that sounds too sweet and not sincere

How Sweet

cloying
3 8.2
syrupy
3 3.7
sugary
31 1.0
sweet
611 1.0

Surface Forms

syrupy positive

Morphology

syrupy = syrup (semi-transparent) = syrup + y

Formally derived by regular suffixation from 'syrup'; the morphological formation is clear even if the sense is extended metaphorically.

Etymology

The word syrupy comes from syrup, a very sweet 'drink', and that image helps explain its second meaning. So syrupy can also mean overly sweet in taste or feeling, as when a voice or song sounds too sentimental.