sweetheart
Americannoun
-
sweethearts
plural
-
either of a pair of lovers in relation to the other.
-
(sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address.
-
a beloved person.
-
Informal. a generous, friendly person.
-
Informal. anything that arouses loyal affection.
My old car was a real sweetheart.
noun
-
a person loved by another
-
informal a lovable, generous, or obliging person
-
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:
Steven, now 35 and married to his high school sweetheart with a toddler, is a partner at Arena Capital, a small real-estate private-equity firm that invests in the Hudson Valley.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
Some, ahem, “congratulations” are in order for Post Malone and his sweetheart Christy Lee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
He’s married to his childhood sweetheart, has three adorable sons and a picture of his mother tattooed on his back.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Going back to that game in New Jersey last week, Aston Villa captain and Tartan Army sweetheart John McGinn was the one to start on the bench.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
Even so, he did find true love again with his childhood sweetheart, Edith Carow, whom he married.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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
“Apples float, and as the girls’ potential sweethearts ducked to catch the fruit with their teeth, future couplings were determined — or foretold.”
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2025
Everyone taking part has a story to tell, and they are always incredibly relatable - from bickering teenage sweethearts Fin and Sioned, to mother and son Caroline and Tom.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2025
With sudden urgency, women embraced husbands and sweethearts who worked beside them at Phillips.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
