sweeten

[sweet-n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sweeten ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to make sweet, as by adding sugar.

to make mild or kind; soften.

to lessen the acridity or pungency of (a food) by prolonged cooking.

to reduce the saltiness of (a food or dish) by diluting with water, milk, or other liquid.

to make (the breath, room air, etc.) sweet or fresh, as with a mouthwash, spray, etc.

(in musical recording) to add musical instruments to (an arrangement), especially strings for a lusher sound.

Chemistry.

to make (the stomach, soil, etc.) less acidic, as by means of certain preparations, chemicals, etc.
to remove sulfur and its compounds from (oil or gas).

Informal.

to enhance the value of (loan collateral) by including additional or especially valuable securities.
to add to the value or attractiveness of (any proposition, holding, etc.).

to add more liquor to (an alcoholic drink).

Poker. to add stakes to (a pot) before opening.

verb (used without object)

to become sweet or sweeter.

Origin of sweeten

First recorded in 1545–55; sweet + -en¹

Related formsnon·sweet·ened, adjectiveout·sweet·en, verb (used with object)o·ver·sweet·en, verb (used with object)pre·sweet·en, verb (used with object)re·sweet·en, verbun·sweet·ened, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sweeten

Contemporary Examples of sweeten

Cameroon released several Boko Haram detainees to sweeten the deal.
Al Qaeda Growing Rich Off Ransom Payments
Jamie Dettmer
December 22, 2013
Right now your company likes to sweeten the pot by paying you in tax-deductible fringe benefits, including corporate junkets.
Our Tax Code is Too Complicated. Here's How to Simplify It.
Megan McArdle
April 15, 2013
If the administration is correct, then there should be no need to sweeten the pot.
Just Say No To Layoff Notices
Megan McArdle
October 4, 2012
He likes to sweeten the negotiations with a little food, drink, and social lubrication, no matter the circumstances.
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner Defies Party to Engage GOP on a Deficit deal
Linda Killian
December 28, 2011
You can reuse the syrup to sweeten tea or make another batch of apple chips.
Fresh Picks
Alex Guarnaschelli
September 15, 2011

Historical Examples of sweeten

Sweeten it to your taste; set it over the fire, and keep it stirring till it boils.
The Lady's Own Cookery Book, and New Dinner-Table Directory;
Charlotte Campbell Bury
Should he continue to sweeten at this rate, as he proceeds, I know not what will become of all the little modesty I have left.
The Works of William Cowper
William Cowper
He found it a disconsolate occupation, even with a cigar to sweeten it.
Tales From Bohemia
Robert Neilson Stephens
Let it stand two hours; sweeten to taste, and add a bottle of seltzer-water.
Cups and their Customs
George Edwin Roberts
Between France and Germany it creates a sea of bitterness which no rapturous exultation over the new ethical ordering can sweeten.
The Inside Story Of The Peace Conference
Emile Joseph Dillon

British Dictionary definitions for sweeten

sweeten

verb (mainly tr)

(also intr) to make or become sweet or sweeter

to mollify or soften (a person)

to make more agreeable

(also intr) chem to free or be freed from unpleasant odours, acidic or corrosive substances, or the like

finance, mainly US to raise the value of (loan collateral) by adding more securities

informal poker to enlarge (the pot) by adding chips

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for sweeten

1550s, from sweet (adj.) + verbal ending -en (1). The Middle English form of the verb was simply sweet, from Old English swetan. Related: Sweetened; sweetening.