caramelize

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/ˈkaɹ(ə)məlʌɪz//ˈkɑɹ(ə)məlʌɪz/

verb

To convert (sugar) into caramel.

“Slowly cooking the onions will caramelize them, which brings out the sweetness and gives them a brown color.”

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caramelise
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Meanings

verbcaramelize (third-person singular simple present caramelizes, present participle caramelizing, simple past and past participle caramelized)

present singular third person caramelizes · participle present caramelizing · participle past caramelized · past caramelized · alternative caramelise · alternative US nonstandard carmelize

  1. transitivecookingTo convert (sugar) into caramel.
  2. transitivecookingTo brown (sugar, or a foodstuff containing sugar) by means of heat.

    Slowly cooking the onions will caramelize them, which brings out the sweetness and gives them a brown color.

  3. intransitivecookingTo undergo this kind of conversion or browning.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbbe converted into caramel

Similar
caramelise
Broader
convert

verbconvert to caramel

Similar
caramelise
Broader
convert

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From caramel + -ize.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan acaramel·lar, caramel·litzar
  • acaramel·larbrown sugar
  • caramel·litzarbrown sugar
Dutch karamelliseren
  • karamelliserenconvert sugar into caramel
Esperanto karameligi
  • karameligibrown sugar
Finnish karamellisoida, karamellisoida
  • karamellisoidaconvert sugar into caramel
  • karamellisoidabrown sugar
French caraméliser
  • caraméliserbrown sugar
German karamellisieren
  • karamellisierenbrown sugar
Italian caramellare, caramellizzare
  • caramellarebrown sugar
  • caramellizzarebrown sugar
Norwegian Bokmål karamellisere
  • karamelliserebrown sugar
Polish karmelizować, skarmelizować
  • karmelizowaćconvert sugar into caramel
  • skarmelizowaćconvert sugar into caramel
  • karmelizowaćbrown sugar
  • skarmelizowaćbrown sugar
Portuguese caramelizar
  • caramelizarbrown sugar
Spanish acaramelar, caramelizar
  • acaramelarbrown sugar
  • caramelizarbrown sugar
Swedish karamellisera
  • karamelliserabrown sugar
Turkish karamelize etmek, karamelize etmek
  • karamelize etmekconvert sugar into caramel
  • karamelize etmekbrown sugar
Ukrainian карамелізувати, карамелізувати
  • карамелізувати (karamelizuvaty)convert sugar into caramel
  • карамелізувати (karamelizuvaty)brown sugar
Cite this entry
APA

caramelize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caramelize

MLA

“caramelize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caramelize. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “caramelize,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caramelize.

Source: caramelize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.