bittersweet

American  

[bit-er-sweet, bit-er-sweet, bit-er-sweet] / ˌbɪt ərˈswit, ˈbɪt ərˌswit, ˈbɪt ərˌswit /

adjective

1. both bitter and sweet to the taste.

   bittersweet chocolate.

2. both pleasant and painful or regretful.

   a bittersweet memory.

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noun

1. 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.

2. Also called climbing bittersweet.  any climbing plant of the genus Celastrus, bearing orange capsules opening to expose red-coated seeds, especially C. scandens.

3. pleasure mingled with pain or regret.

   the bittersweet of parting.

bittersweet British  

/ ˈbɪtəˌswiːt /

noun

1. 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

2. another name for woody nightshade

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adjective

1. tasting of or being a mixture of bitterness and sweetness

2. 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

• bittersweetness
  noun
• bittersweetly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of bittersweet

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; bitter + sweet

Explanation

The adjective bittersweet describes a taste that is a blend of bitter and sweet. Bittersweet chocolate, for example, contains more chocolate and less sugar than milk chocolate or even semisweet chocolate. The adjective bittersweet doesn't just refer to taste. It can also describe a blend of emotions that are sweet but also tinged with sadness. If you attend a memorial service for your grandmother, for example, you can enjoy telling stories of the things you did together, but still feel sad that she's gone. The feelings and memories you have make you simultaneously happy and sad, and are therefore bittersweet.

Example Sentences

Bittersweet flashbacks recall her Stanley, Ind., childhood — cruising around town on a Friday night in a “lime-green Chevelle,” a gift from her father that was the “source of such happiness.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

In Susan Cain’s "Bittersweet," she talks about what draws us to sad music over happy music.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2024

“I’m surprised nobody thought of it before you, Mike,” David Scripter told Mr. Graves as he dropped off an order of dozens of cakes from Bittersweet Confections, a bakery started by his wife.

From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2024

Home Bittersweet Home, as she titles one chapter in her memoir.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2022

Bittersweet, his youthful face and broad smile caressed my heart.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• agonizing
• arduous
• awful
• difficult
• dire
• distasteful
• distressing
• excruciating
• hard
• harrowing
• heart-wrenching
• hurtful
• severe
• tedious
• terrible
• troublesome
• uncomfortable
• unpleasant