oversugar

O1V4E1R1S1U1G2A1R1

verb

To sugar excessively.

Scrabble 13

Meanings

verboversugar (third-person singular simple present oversugars, present participle oversugaring, simple past and past participle oversugared)

present singular third person oversugars · participle present oversugaring · participle past oversugared · past oversugared

  1. To sugar excessively.

    Nabby said three other things to Alice in the course of that day: she’d oversugared the pudding; she’d put out the wrong plates; she’d raised too much dust with her broom.

    2008, Sally Gunning, chapter 4, in Bound, New York, N.Y.: William Morrow, →ISBN, page 22
    2 more examples

    We oversugar, oversalt. We stimulate our tongues with spices and artificial sweeteners, our noses with artificial flavors, our eyes with artificial brilliant dyes. These are not things that nature has made, necessarily, although she provided the raw materials. They are superstimulants that humans have made or found.

    1989, Jillyn Smith, “Feed Me, Feed Me: Superstimulation”, in Senses and Sensibilities, New York, N.Y.: Wiley Science Editions, →ISBN, chapter 7 (Seeking Sensory Experience), page 211

    I don’t oversugar my rhubarb, so this amount suits me perfectly. But if you prefer a sweeter profile, especially against the tartness of the yogurt, toss in a few extra teaspoons of sugar.

    2015, Cheryl Sternman Rule, “Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote”, in Yogurt Culture: A Global Look at How to Make, Bake, Sip, and Chill the World’s Creamiest, Healthiest Food, Boston, Mass.: Rux Martin, →ISBN, “Flavor” section, page 45

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Germanic*uber
  4. Old Englishofer-
  5. Middle Englishover-
  6. Englishover-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*ḱorkeh₂
  8. Proto-Indo-Iranian*ćárkaraH
  9. Proto-Indo-Aryan*śárkaraH
  10. Sanskritशर्क॑रा (śárkarā)
  11. Middle Persian𐭱𐭪𐭥 (šakar)
  12. Arabicسُكَّر (sukkar)
  13. Old Italianzucchero
  14. Old Frenchçucre
  15. Middle Englishsugre
  16. Englishsugar
  17. Englishoversugar

From over- + sugar (verb).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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