bittersweet
Americanadjective
noun
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Also called woody nightshade. a climbing or trailing plant, Solanum dulcamara, of the nightshade family, having small, violet, star-shaped flowers with a protruding yellow center and scarlet berries.
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Also called climbing bittersweet. any climbing plant of the genus Celastrus, bearing orange capsules opening to expose red-coated seeds, especially C. scandens.
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pleasure mingled with pain or regret.
the bittersweet of parting.
noun
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any of several North American woody climbing plants of the genus Celastrus , esp C. scandens , having orange capsules that open to expose scarlet-coated seeds: family Celastraceae
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another name for woody nightshade
adjective
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tasting of or being a mixture of bitterness and sweetness
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pleasant but tinged with sadness
Usage
What does bittersweet mean? Bittersweet describes something that tastes both harsh or acrid and sugary, such as a chocolate with less sugar, intended for baking into something sweet, like a cake.Bittersweet also describes something that is both pleasant and regretful, such as graduating from high school. You’re excited about what comes after high school, but you’ll miss seeing your friends everyday. Graduation is a bittersweet moment.Bittersweet is another name for Solanum dulcamara, or woody nightshade, a creeping, vine-like plant that can be poisonous in large quantities.Bittersweet could also refer to any climbing plant of the genus Celastrus.Example: I take just a little sugar in my coffee because I like a bittersweet taste.
Other Word Forms
- bittersweetly adverb
- bittersweetness noun
Etymology
Origin of bittersweet
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Three-time reigning world ice dance champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates settled for a “bittersweet” silver that was marred by judging controversies.
From Los Angeles Times
For Naumov, it was a bittersweet experience just over a year after the death of his parents, both former Olympic figure skaters, in a plane crash.
From Barron's
Collins returned to the fold for a 2007 tour — including two spectacular evenings at the Hollywood Bowl — and, after his health deteriorated, a bittersweet farewell jaunt in 2021-22.
From Los Angeles Times
For Naumov, it will be a bittersweet experience just over a year after the death of his parents in a plane crash.
From Barron's
American Johnson, already the reigning downhill world champion, clocked 1min 36.10sec in an early run to claim her first Olympic medal on a bittersweet day for the US team in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
