sweeten

American  

[sweet-n] / ˈswit n /

verb (used with object)

1. to make sweet, as by adding sugar.

2. to make mild or kind; soften.

3. to lessen the acridity or pungency of (a food) by prolonged cooking.

4. to reduce the saltiness of (a food or dish) by diluting with water, milk, or other liquid.

5. to make (the breath, room air, etc.) sweet or fresh, as with a mouthwash, spray, etc.

6. (in musical recording) to add musical instruments to (an arrangement), especially strings for a lusher sound.

7. Chemistry.

   1. to make (the stomach, soil, etc.) less acidic, as by means of certain preparations, chemicals, etc.

   2. to remove sulfur and its compounds from (oil or gas).

8. Informal.

   1. to enhance the value of (loan collateral) by including additional or especially valuable securities.

   2. to add to the value or attractiveness of (any proposition, holding, etc.).

9. to add more liquor to (an alcoholic drink).

10. Poker. to add stakes to (a pot) before opening.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become sweet or sweeter.

sweeten British  

/ ˈswiːtən /

verb

1. (also intr) to make or become sweet or sweeter

2. to mollify or soften (a person)

3. to make more agreeable

4. (also intr) chem to free or be freed from unpleasant odours, acidic or corrosive substances, or the like

5. finance to raise the value of (loan collateral) by adding more securities

6. informal poker to enlarge (the pot) by adding chips

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Other Word Forms

• nonsweetened adjective
• outsweeten verb (used with object)
• oversweeten verb (used with object)
• presweeten verb (used with object)
• resweeten verb
• unsweetened adjective

Etymology

Origin of sweeten

First recorded in 1545–55; sweet + -en ¹

Example Sentences

This past summer, Durov sweetened the deal during an interview with a French magazine, announcing that his biological children would receive an equal share of his inheritance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Here is how the deal sours for Netflix and sweetens for Paramount.

From MarketWatch

This time, it is bidding $5.2 billion and vowing to make sure the transaction clears any regulatory hurdles by including a sizable break fee to sweeten the deal.

From The Wall Street Journal

The statute also sweetened the child tax credit, increased the standard deduction and kept tax rates from rising.

From MarketWatch

Crisp cookies soften into clouds of lightly sweetened cream, layered with jam or mascarpone, until the whole thing collapses just enough to make slicing with a butter knife feel like a small act of rebellion.

From Salon

Related Words

• mull