Sugary means containing a lot of sugar or tasting very sweet, like candy, soda, or frosted cereal. A sugary snack might taste delicious, but eating too many can give you a stomachache or make you feel jittery and tired later.

The word also describes things that seem overly sweet or sentimental in an insincere way. A sugary compliment might sound nice but feel fake, like when someone says “You're absolutely the most amazing person I've ever met!” after knowing you for five minutes. A movie with a sugary ending might wrap up too neatly, with everyone hugging and smiling in a way that doesn't feel realistic.

When you hear someone describe a song or story as sugary, they usually mean it's too sweet, too sentimental, or lacking genuine feeling. Just as your body can only handle so much actual sugar before it becomes unpleasant, your mind can only handle so much artificial sweetness before it stops feeling true.