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

• bittersweetly adverb
• bittersweetness noun

Etymology

Origin of bittersweet

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

Example Sentences

“It’s a bittersweet surrender that you cannot predict anything,” McCraney said, adding that the best he can do is follow his instincts toward scripts that stir something within himself.

From Los Angeles Times

The merger with Paramount, which the companies aim to close by the end of September, has cast a pall over Warner Bros., making its box-office success this year bittersweet.

From MarketWatch

It softens the harsher edges of coffee and bittersweet chocolate, adding warmth without sweetness.

From Salon

Now, Iowa is mourning as questions and bursts of bittersweet pride begin again.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Although it is bittersweet, I love to see her, happy and beautiful, with her whole life ahead of her."

From BBC

Related Words

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