sweetheart
Americannoun
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sweethearts
plural
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either of a pair of lovers in relation to the other.
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(sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address.
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a beloved person.
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Informal. a generous, friendly person.
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Informal. anything that arouses loyal affection.
My old car was a real sweetheart.
noun
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a person loved by another
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informal a lovable, generous, or obliging person
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a term of endearment for a beloved or lovable person
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sweetheart
First recorded in 1250–1300, sweetheart is from Middle English swete herte. See sweet, heart
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.
See Examples For:
“He was a top of the line up hitter with a humble attitude in the 3 years he played against him. Rest in Peace sweetheart and endless prayers for his family.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
They were previously made to give up their titles and leave their families - which is what Princess Mako did in 2021 to marry her college sweetheart.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Grande was previously married to real estate agent Dalton Gomez, while Slater had been married to psychologist Lilly Jay, his high-school sweetheart with whom he shares a child.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
Ashleigh Stanley did not bother with make-up when she tied the knot with childhood sweetheart Jake Stanley, 29, at Llanerch Vineyard in Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
Maybe Birdie was just like sweetheart or honey, a name that could apply to anyone.
From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour
People also meet their sweethearts in college or at jobs that require similar qualifications.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 14, 2026
"It's here that we still meet our sweethearts, that we swap our numbers scribbled on little bits of paper," says fisherman Paulin Agbokounou.
From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026
Dusty and Ruby were adolescent sweethearts, but the audience doesn’t need to know the whole backstory to guess why they broke up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025
The couple have arguably earned respect by surviving various highs and lows in the public eye, which began with intense press scrutiny when they were childhood sweethearts.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2025
My mother and her friend Mr. Jonathan never had nothing positive to say about any of Benny Rachpaul’s latest sweethearts.
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
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.
