Meaning & use
caramelized
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Cooked until the sugars on the surface turn brown and develop a sweet, nutty flavor.
Grammar: Used before a noun: caramelized onions. Can also be used after a linking verb: The onions are caramelized.
Patterns
- caramelized + food noun
The recipe calls for caramelized onions and a pinch of thyme.
She served a salad topped with caramelized walnuts.
The caramelized sugar on the crème brûlée crackled under the spoon.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Past tense and past participle of 'caramelize': to cook food until its sugars brown and sweeten.
Grammar: As a verb, it can take an object (caramelize the sugar) or be used without one (the sugar caramelized quickly).
Patterns
- caramelize something
- something caramelizes
He caramelized the carrots in a hot pan with butter.
The peaches caramelized beautifully under the broiler.
If you cook the onions slowly, they will caramelize without burning.
Word forms
| base form | caramelize |
|---|---|
| third person singular | caramelizes |
| present participle | caramelizing |
| past tense | caramelized |
| past participle | caramelized |
Common combinations
- caramelized onions
- The burger came with sweet caramelized onions.
- caramelized sugar
- Caramelized sugar gives the dessert a deep golden color.
- caramelized nuts
- She sprinkled caramelized nuts over the ice cream.
- perfectly caramelized
- The roast chicken was perfectly caramelized and juicy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- browned
- Browned simply means cooked until brown, often by frying; caramelized specifically means the sugars have turned brown and sweet.
- glazed
- Glazed means coated with a shiny layer, often sugar or syrup; caramelized focuses on the cooking process that browns the food's own sugars.
Opposites
Word family
- caramel noun
- A sweet, sticky substance made by heating sugar, or a soft candy made from it.
- caramelization noun
- The process of sugar turning brown and developing a nutty flavor when heated.
- caramelize verb
- To cook food until its sugars brown and sweeten.
Commonly confused: caramelized or caramel?
caramelized vs caramel
Caramel is the sweet substance or candy; caramelized describes food that has been cooked to form that flavor.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'caramelized' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses 'caramelized' as a verb with a direct object ('the onions') and a result clause. Option 1 wrongly treats it as a tool. Option 2 mixes a verb with a second verb phrase. Option 3 uses an awkward infinitive of purpose.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “caramelized”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.