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:
Dolly Parton — the “queen of country,” benevolent ruler of Dollywood and America’s true sweetheart — died at age 80 last month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
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
“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
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
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
Jay and Slater were high school sweethearts and began dating in college in 2012.
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2024
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.
