confection
gb/kənfˈɛkʃən/ us/kənfˈɛkʃən/
B2
English
édesség, bonbon, sütemény, torta, édességek, kreálmány, csodaköltemény, elektuárium, gyógykeverék
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
a [confection]; a box of [confections]
The shop sells handmade chocolate confections with unusual flavors.
A bolt szokatlan ízű, kézzel készített csokoládés bonbonokat árul.
She bought a small box of confections as a thank-you gift.
Köszönőajándéknak vett egy kis doboz bonbont.
These mint confections are meant to freshen your breath.
Learner examples
I ate one confection after dinner.
Vacsora után ettem egy édességet.
He gave me a box of confections.
Adott nekem egy doboz bonbont.
Common mistake:
Learners may think it means any dessert; in everyday use it often suggests candy or small sweets.
Meaning
a sweet, candy-like food
Collocations
chocolate confections
|sugary confections
|assorted confections
|handmade confections
|holiday confections
|box of confections
|artisan confections
|hard confections
|mint confections
|sweet confections
Synonyms
candy (More common everyday word in American English.)
|
sweet (Broader; can include desserts as well.)
|
bonbon (Often a small, fancy chocolate.)
Antonyms
savory snack (A salty or non-sweet snack.)
Themes
food
|cooking
|daily_life
Definition
a sweet food like candy or chocolate
A sweet food item such as candy or a small chocolate, often made with sugar and flavorings.
NOUN
B2
2
Usage pattern:
a [confection]; an elaborate [confection]
The bakery window was filled with brightly iced confections.
A pékség kirakata tele volt élénk színű cukormázzal bevont süteményekkel.
For her birthday, he ordered a towering confection covered in roses made of sugar.
A születésnapjára egy magas, cukorrózsákkal borított tortát rendelt.
They served a delicate confection of sponge cake and cream.
Learner examples
The bakery makes sweet confections.
A cukrászda édes süteményeket készít.
She chose a chocolate confection.
Egy csokoládés süteményt választott.
Common mistake:
Not usually used for ordinary bread or plain biscuits; it suggests a sweet, dessert-like baked item.
Meaning
a sweet cake or pastry
Collocations
an elaborate confection
|a layered confection
|a frosted confection
|a pastry confection
|a cream-filled confection
|a rich confection
|a decorated confection
|a bakery confection
|a sugar-coated confection
|a homemade confection
Synonyms
pastry (Often smaller and flaky; not necessarily heavily decorated.)
|
cake (More specific; a common type of confection.)
|
dessert (Much broader; includes non-baked sweets too.)
Antonyms
savory dish (Food that is not sweet, typically a main or salty item.)
Themes
food
|cooking
Definition
a sweet baked dessert, like a cake
A sweet baked dessert, especially one that is rich or decorated, such as a cake or pastry.
NOUN
C1
3
édességek
A2
Usage pattern:
[confections] (plural) from [place]; a selection of [confections]
The store carries imported confections from Japan and Korea.
Az üzlet Japánból és Koreából importált édességeket árul.
He tries to avoid confections and other sugary snacks.
Igyekszik kerülni az édességeket és más cukros nassolnivalókat.
They put out a selection of confections for guests to nibble on.
Learner examples
I don't eat many confections.
Nem eszem sok édességet.
They sell confections near the checkout.
A pénztárnál édességeket árulnak.
Common mistake:
This use is typically plural ('confections') when talking about sweets in general.
Meaning
sweets as a group
Collocations
a selection of confections
|assorted confections
|imported confections
|sugar-free confections
|seasonal confections
|traditional confections
|local confections
|confections and chocolates
|gift confections
|confections aisle
Synonyms
confectionery (Common for the category of sweets, especially in British English.)
|
sweets (More common and informal, especially in British English.)
Antonyms
staple foods (Basic everyday foods rather than treats.)
Themes
food
|shopping
|daily_life
Definition
different kinds of sweets together
Sweet foods such as candy and small desserts considered as a group.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
4
kreálmány
C1
Usage pattern:
a [confection] of [material/ideas]
The movie is a glossy confection meant to entertain rather than challenge.
A film egy csillogó kreálmány, amely inkább szórakoztatni akar, mint elgondolkodtatni.
She wore a confection of tulle and sequins that sparkled under the lights.
Egy tüllből és flitterekből készült, a fények alatt csillogó csodakölteményt viselt.
The ad is a bright confection of color and sound.
Learner examples
The film is a light confection.
A film egy könnyed kis kreálmány.
Common mistake:
This figurative use is not about food, though it keeps the idea of something 'sweet' or decorative.
Meaning
an attractive, made-up creation
Collocations
a glossy confection
|a visual confection
|a romantic confection
|a cinematic confection
|a frothy confection
|a pastel confection
|a confection of lace
|a confection of color
|a confection of fantasy
|a confection of sound and light
Synonyms
creation (Neutral; lacks the suggestion of prettiness or artificial sweetness.)
|
fabrication (Often implies something invented or not true.)
|
showpiece (Emphasizes being designed to impress.)
Antonyms
plain object (Something simple and not decorative.)
Themes
arts
|fashion
|media
Definition
something made to look pretty, often not natural
Something that is cleverly or attractively made, often seeming artificial or overly pretty.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
5
elektuárium
C2
gyógykeverék
C1
Usage pattern:
a confection of [ingredient]
The text describes a confection of herbs used to soothe the stomach.
A szöveg egy gyomornyugtatásra használt gyógynövényes elektuáriumot ír le.
In older pharmacy records, the remedy is listed as a sugar-based confection.
A régebbi gyógyszertári nyilvántartásokban a szert cukoralapú elektuáriumként tüntetik fel.
Common mistake:
This is rare in modern everyday English; it appears mainly in historical or specialist medical contexts.
Meaning
a prepared mixture, especially medicinal
Collocations
a medicinal confection
|herbal confection
|pharmaceutical confection
|a confection of opium
|a confection of senna
|a traditional confection
Synonyms
preparation (More general term for a made mixture, including medicines.)
|
compound (Often used in pharmacy/chemistry; more technical.)
Themes
health
|science
Definition
a mixture made as a medicine
A substance made by mixing ingredients together, especially a medicinal preparation.
Grammar
Dictionary form
confection
IPA
GB/kənfˈɛkʃən/
US/kənfˈɛkʃən/
Syllables & stress
con - fec - tion (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fec)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: confection
- Plural: confection, confections
Word family
Forms
confections
noun
Core family
confectioner
noun
confectionery
noun
Expressions
a confection of [something]
1/ə kənfˈɛkʃən əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
literary
a decorative mixture of things
a pretty mix of things
Examples
- They served a confection of berries, cream, and crushed meringue.
- Her hat was a confection of feathers and ribbon.
- The display was a confection of pastel colors and soft lighting.
Learner examples
- It was a confection of fruit and cream.
confectioner's sugar
1/kənfˈɛkʃənɚz ʃˈʊɡɚ/
fixed phrase
powdered sugar for icing
very fine sugar used for icing
Examples
- Beat the butter with confectioner's sugar until smooth.
- She dusted the cookies with confectioner's sugar before serving.
- The frosting is made from cream cheese and confectioner's sugar.
Learner examples
- Add confectioner's sugar to the icing.
- I need confectioner's sugar for this cake.