treacle
/ˈtriːkl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtriːkl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtrē-kəl How to pronounce treacle (audio)/ (ame, mw)
treacle — noun
1. a thick, dark, sticky sweet liquid that is produced when raw sugar is refined, u
a thick, dark, sticky sweet liquid that is produced when raw sugar is refined, used especially in British baking and desserts
Jack stirred a spoonful of black treacle into the porridge for extra sweetness.
collocation: black treacle
Rohan's grandmother taught him to make treacle tart for the school bake sale.
treacle tart (British dessert)
Sade poured the warm dark treacle over the steamed pudding just before serving it.
Camille bought a tin of black treacle for making parkin cakes at the autumn fair.
Felipe measured two tablespoons of black treacle for his Christmas pudding mixture.
- molasses
the closest American English equivalent, though molasses is thinner and less refined than British black treacle
文法句型
uncountable noun
用法筆記
Often called 'black treacle' to distinguish it from the light variety (golden syrup). Treacle is uncountable — you say 'some treacle' or 'a tin of treacle', not 'a treacle'.
常見錯誤
2. a very thick, sweet, pale yellow syrup made from refined sugar, also known as go
a very thick, sweet, pale yellow syrup made from refined sugar, also known as golden syrup, used in British home baking and desserts
Esme drizzled golden syrup over the pancakes instead of maple syrup.
verb collocation: drizzle golden syrup over
The flapjacks turned out chewy and sweet because Jin used golden syrup in the mixture.
Sahil spread golden syrup on his toast when the family ran out of jam.
Theo combined golden syrup with butter to make a sticky toffee sauce.
Mayumi stirred two spoonfuls of golden syrup into the porridge to sweeten it naturally.
- golden syrup
the everyday name for light treacle in British shops; the two terms refer to the same product
- corn syrup
an American substitute with a similar consistency but made from corn starch rather than cane sugar
文法句型
uncountable noun
用法筆記
In modern British usage, this is more commonly called 'golden syrup' than 'light treacle'. The term 'golden syrup' appears on the product label.
3. language, music, or behaviour that is so sweet or emotional that it seems false,
language, music, or behaviour that is so sweet or emotional that it seems false, exaggerated, or unpleasant — used as a criticism
Mayumi found the romantic film full of treacle and could not finish watching it.
figurative pattern: full of treacle
Defne rolled her eyes at the treacle in the politician's emotional speech.
The novel was good, but Ilan felt the final chapter was pure treacle.
Adisa said the song was nothing but treacle and changed the radio station immediately.
Isabela preferred documentaries to dramas because dramas were often full of treacle and fake emotion.
- sentimentality
more neutral and formal; sentimentality can be warm, while treacle is always critical
- mawkishness
more formal and literary, describes the same kind of false emotion
- schmaltz
US-informal, covers the same idea of excessive sentiment, especially in music or film
文法句型
full of treacle
pure treacle
nothing but treacle
用法筆記
Always used negatively — calling something 'treacle' means you dislike it for being too sentimental. Common in reviews of films, books, or music.