sweet
having the taste or flavor characteristic of sugar, honey, etc.
producing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is not bitter, sour, or salt.
not rancid or stale; fresh: This milk is still sweet.
not salt or salted: sweet butter.
pleasing to the ear; making a delicate, pleasant, or agreeable sound; musical.
pleasing or fresh to the smell; fragrant; perfumed.
pleasing or agreeable; delightful.
amiable; kind or gracious, as a person, action, etc.
easily managed; done or effected without effort.
(of wine) not dry; containing unfermented, natural sugar.
(of a cocktail) made with a greater proportion of vermouth than usual.
sentimental, cloying, or unrealistic: a sweet painting of little kittens.
(of air) fresh; free from odor, staleness, excess humidity, noxious gases, etc.
free from acidity or sourness, as soil.
Chemistry.
devoid of corrosive or acidic substances.
(of fuel oil or gas) containing no sulfur compounds.
(of jazz or big band music) performed with a regular beat, moderate tempo, lack of improvisation, and an emphasis on warm tone and clearly outlined melody.
in a sweet manner; sweetly.
Slang. (used to express approval, admiration, satisfaction, pleasure, etc.: I hear she got a promotion. Sweet!
a sweet flavor, smell, or sound; sweetness.
something that is sweet or causes or gives a sweet flavor, smell, or sound.
sweets,
candy, pie, cake, and other foods high in sugar content.
Informal. sweet potatoes.
Chiefly British.
a piece of candy; confection or bonbon.
a sweet dish or dessert, as a pudding or tart.
something pleasant to the mind or feelings.
a beloved person.
Often sweets . (in direct address) darling; sweetheart: Yes, my sweet.
Idioms about sweet
short and sweet. See entry at short and sweet.
sweet on, Informal. infatuated with; in love with: He's sweet on her.
Origin of sweet
1word story For sweet
The Proto-Indo-European root is swād- “sweet”; the adjective from that root is swādús, which becomes Sanskrit svādús, then Greek hēdýs and hādýs (with the usual simplification of initial sw- to h- ). The extended form swādwis becomes the Latin adjective suāvis “agreeable to the taste” (not necessarily sweet), “fragrant; pleasing to the eyes, the feelings, the mind,” and the verb suādēre “to recommend, make something pleasant.” The root swād- regularly becomes swōt- in Germanic, and the adjective from that root is swōtjaz. The j causes umlaut of the ō, becoming œ or ē and yielding the Old English adjective swœte and swēte, Middle English swet(e), swet, and English sweet.
Very early on, sweet was applied more generally to things that are pleasing or agreeable to bodily senses other than taste buds. In the 14th century, you might say someone was sweet in (the) bed to mean that they were good in bed. From the mid-1500s, sweet-love (now obsolete) was a term of affection for a beloved person. By the late 1500s, you could call someone sweet-tongued, and by the 1900s, whisper sweet nothings to someone.
Other words for sweet
| 1 | sugary |
| 5 | melodious, mellifluous |
| 6 | redolent, aromatic, scented |
| 8 | winning, lovable, charming |
Other words from sweet
- sweet·ly, adverb
- sweet·ness, noun
- non·sweet, adjective
- o·ver·sweet, adjective
- o·ver·sweet·ly, adverb
- o·ver·sweet·ness, noun
- su·per·sweet, adjective
- su·per·sweet·ly, adverb
- su·per·sweet·ness, noun
Words that may be confused with sweet
- suite, sweet
Other definitions for Sweet (2 of 2)
Henry, 1845–1912, English philologist and linguist.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sweet in a sentence
The Butterbrief, issued by Pope Innocent VIII, was a turning point for the then bland Stollen, which gradually became sweeter.
One Cake to Rule Them All: How Stollen Stole Our Hearts | Molly Hannon | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTExtra dry, for example, is actually sweeter than brut, which is drier than demi-sec, which is somewhat sweet.
And hopefully all that history (not to mention a little luck with the ponies) will only make it that much sweeter.
Over the years, the dish has acclimated to American taste buds, and become sweeter.
‘The Search for General Tso’: The Origins of America’s Favorite Chinese Dish, General Tso’s Chicken | Marlow Stern | April 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHow much sweeter does it feel now that these juicier roles are finally coming your way?
Meet the Red Viper: Pedro Pascal on Game of Thrones’ Kinky, Bisexual Hellraiser | Marlow Stern | March 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Almost coincident with the last stroke came the sweeter note of a silver gong from somewhere close at hand.
Dope | Sax RohmerCould your millions, tea-king, buy for me a sweeter music than the valley's heart throb as it rocks itself to sleep?
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydCould the bleating of the sheep swing in sweeter to the music of the valley as she is rocked to sleep?
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydThis bay was the gift of a poor man; and the presents of the poor are somehow sweeter perhaps than any others.
Child Life In Town And Country | Anatole FranceIt is better for animals to be where the jungle is, for the jungle is sweeter and kinder than that wilderness of stones—the city.
Kari the Elephant | Dhan Gopal Mukerji
British Dictionary definitions for sweet (1 of 2)
/ (swiːt) /
having or denoting a pleasant taste like that of sugar
agreeable to the senses or the mind: sweet music
having pleasant manners; gentle: a sweet child
(of wine, etc) having a relatively high sugar content; not dry
(of foods) not decaying or rancid: sweet milk
not salty: sweet water
free from unpleasant odours: sweet air
containing no corrosive substances: sweet soil
(of petrol) containing no sulphur compounds
sentimental or unrealistic
individual; particular: the electorate went its own sweet way
jazz performed with a regular beat, with the emphasis on clearly outlined melody and little improvisation
Australian slang satisfactory or in order; all right
archaic respected; dear (used in polite forms of address): sweet sir
smooth and precise; perfectly executed: a sweet shot
sweet on fond of or infatuated with
keep someone sweet to ingratiate oneself in order to ensure cooperation
informal in a sweet manner
a sweet taste or smell; sweetness in general
(often plural) British any of numerous kinds of confectionery consisting wholly or partly of sugar, esp of sugar boiled and crystallized (boiled sweets)
British a pudding, fruit, or any sweet dish served as a dessert
dear; sweetheart (used as a form of address)
anything that is sweet
(often plural) a pleasurable experience, state, etc: the sweets of success
US See sweet potato
Origin of sweet
1Derived forms of sweet
- sweetish, adjective
- sweetly, adverb
- sweetness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for Sweet (2 of 2)
Henry. 1845–1912, English philologist; a pioneer of modern phonetics. His books include A History of English Sounds (1874)
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with sweet
In addition to the idioms beginning with sweet
- sweet dreams
- sweeten the kitty
- sweetness and light
- sweet nothings
- sweet on, be
- sweet talk
- sweet tooth
also see:
- short and sweet
- take the bitter with the sweet
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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