edulcorate

E1D2U1L1C3O1R1A1T1E1
/əˈdʌlkəɹeɪt/

verb

To sweeten.

Scrabble 13

Meanings

verbedulcorate (third-person singular simple present edulcorates, present participle edulcorating, simple past and past participle edulcorated)

present singular third person edulcorates · participle present edulcorating · participle past edulcorated · past edulcorated

  1. rareTo sweeten.
  2. rareTo make more acceptable or palatable.

    I guess I am simply accustomed to dealing with more edulcorated versions of xenophobia.

    2019, Valeria Luiselli, Lost Children Archive, Alfred A. Knopf, page 129
  3. rareTo free from acidity.
    1 more example

    The more Judicious of the Chymiſts themſelves do ſeveral of them novv acknovvledge, that the bare reducing of Pearls to fine Povvder, affords a Medicine much richer in the Vertues of the Pearls, then the Magiſtery, prepar'd by diſſolving them in acid Spirits, and precipitating them vvith Oyl of Tartar, and aftervvards ſcrupulously edulcorating them.

    1663, Robert Boyle, “Essay V. Proposing Some Particulars wherein Natural Philosophy may be Useful to the Therapeutical Part of Physick.”, in Some Considerations Touching the Vsefulnesse of Experimental Naturall Philosophy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Hen[ry] Hall printer to the University, for Ric[hard] Davis, →OCLC, part II, section I (Of It’s Usefulness to Physick), chapter VI, pages 159–160

Synonyms & antonyms

verbmake sweeter in taste

Broader
change taste

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Medieval Latinēdulcōrō
  2. Englishedulcorate

From Medieval Latin ēdulcōrō. Compare French édulcorer.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French édulcorer
  • édulcorerto sweeten
Italian edulcorare
  • edulcorareto sweeten
Cite this entry
APA

edulcorate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/edulcorate

MLA

“edulcorate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/edulcorate. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “edulcorate,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/edulcorate.

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