sugarcoat the pill
(redirected from sugar-coat the pill)sugarcoat 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 sugar-coating 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 sugar-coat the pill first.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.