sundae

American  

[suhn-dey, -dee] / ˈsʌn deɪ, -di /

noun

1. ice cream served with syrup poured over it, and often other toppings, as whipped cream, chopped nuts, or fruit.

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sundae British  

/ ˈsʌndɪ, -deɪ /

noun

1. ice cream topped with a sweet sauce, nuts, whipped cream, etc

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Etymology

Origin of sundae

1890–95, perhaps special use of Sunday (with distinctive spelling)

Explanation

A sundae is a delicious ice cream concoction that might include hot fudge or caramel sauce, nuts, and whipped cream. You can order a sundae any day of the week. When you put ice cream in a dish, drip a sweet topping over it (like strawberry sauce or chocolate syrup), and add a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry, you've got a sundae. There are several competing stories about the origin of the sundae (and its name). One is that Illinois' outlawing of soda drinking on Sundays led to the dessert's invention. Several towns claim to be the sundae's birthplace, including New York City; Plainfield, Illinois; and New Orleans.

Example Sentences

After the hummus and seven vegetable salads, the meal unfolded with sweet-and-salty pistachio-dusted halloumi baklava, tender beef shashlik over creamy black-garlic toum, and a guava sorbet sundae.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

From Hailee Catalano's latest cookbook, “By Heart: Recipes to Hold Near and Dear,” this springtime sundae is “reminiscent of a cozy crumble or crisp but with a bit more lightness.”

From Salon • May 23, 2025

Barely recognizable from “Welcome to Flatch” is Holmes as Carmen’s roommate Hailee, a rococo ice cream sundae of a person, talking a mile a minute, sweet and dim; as on “Flatch,” she is quite wonderful.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025

So, my ideal Sunday would probably include the best impression of a Denny’s hot fudge sundae I could find: vanilla ice cream — I love Häagen-Dazs — with crushed nuts and all that.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2024

Roza plucked the cherry from the top of her sundae, dangled it in front of Finn.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby