sugar/sweeten the pill

sugar the pill

To make something bad, unpleasant, or dissatisfactory easier to cope with, endure, or accept. The bosses are giving everyone an extra bonus this year, but I suspect it's a way of sugaring the pill with the massive layoffs that are scheduled. I have to tell my mom about wrecking her car, but I need to find a way to sugar the pill first.

See also: pill, sugar

sweeten the pill

To make something bad, unpleasant, or dissatisfactory easier to cope with, endure, or accept. The bosses are giving everyone an extra 10% bonus this Christmas, but I suspect it's a way of sweetening the pill that there will be massive pay cuts in January. I have to tell my mom about wrecking her car, but I need to find a way to sweeten the pill first.

sugar the pill

Make something unpleasant more palatable, as in There would be no Christmas bonus this year but management sugared the pill by giving workers extra vacation time over the holidays . [Late 1700s]

See also: pill, sugar

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

sugar the pill

BRITISH or

sugar-coat the pill

AMERICAN

COMMON If you sugar the pill, you try to make bad news or an unpleasant situation seem less unpleasant. Stirling tried to sugar the pill for his employee. `There'll be a ten thousand pound bonus if you agree to go quietly.' His bitter pill was sugar-coated with a promise of `free and fair' elections. Note: In British English, you can also say that you sweeten the pill. A few words of praise help to sweeten the pill of criticism.

See also: pill, sugar

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

sugar (or sweeten) the pill

make an unpleasant or painful necessity more acceptable.

The image here is of making bitter-tasting medicine more palatable by adding sugar.

See also: pill, sugar

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

sugar/sweeten the ˈpill

make something unpleasant seem less unpleasant: He tried to sweeten the pill by telling her she’d only be in hospital a few days.

词组	sugar/sweeten the pill
释义	sugar/sweeten the pill sugar the pill To make something bad, unpleasant, or dissatisfactory easier to cope with, endure, or accept. The bosses are giving everyone an extra bonus this year, but I suspect it's a way of sugaring the pill with the massive layoffs that are scheduled. I have to tell my mom about wrecking her car, but I need to find a way to sugar the pill first. See also: pill, sugar sweeten the pill To make something bad, unpleasant, or dissatisfactory easier to cope with, endure, or accept. The bosses are giving everyone an extra 10% bonus this Christmas, but I suspect it's a way of sweetening the pill that there will be massive pay cuts in January. I have to tell my mom about wrecking her car, but I need to find a way to sweeten the pill first. See also: pill, sweeten Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. sugar the pill Make something unpleasant more palatable, as in There would be no Christmas bonus this year but management sugared the pill by giving workers extra vacation time over the holidays . [Late 1700s] See also: pill, sugar The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. sugar the pill BRITISH or sugar-coat the pill AMERICAN COMMON If you sugar the pill, you try to make bad news or an unpleasant situation seem less unpleasant. Stirling tried to sugar the pill for his employee. `There'll be a ten thousand pound bonus if you agree to go quietly.' His bitter pill was sugar-coated with a promise of `free and fair' elections. Note: In British English, you can also say that you sweeten the pill. A few words of praise help to sweeten the pill of criticism. See also: pill, sugar Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. sugar (or sweeten) the pill make an unpleasant or painful necessity more acceptable. The image here is of making bitter-tasting medicine more palatable by adding sugar. See also: pill, sugar Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary sugar/sweeten the ˈpill make something unpleasant seem less unpleasant: He tried to sweeten the pill by telling her she’d only be in hospital a few days. See also: pill, sugar, sweeten Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary See also: sugar the pill sugar-coat the pill sweeten the pill suck it up come to a bad end come to a bad/sticky end have no stomach for something have the stomach for be tainted by (something) lie back and think of England
随便看	lookin look in looking like a snack looking like a whole meal looking over shoulder looking up look in on look in on (someone or something) look in the face look into look into (something) look kindly on (someone or something) look kindly on/upon somebody/something look kindly upon (someone or something) look like look like a candidate for a pair of wings look like a candidate for a pair of wings Go to a look like a (dead) ringer for (someone) look like a drowned rat look like a million bucks look like a million dollars look like a ringer look like a saddle on a sow look like death look like death warmed over