sweet

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sweet ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, sweet·er, sweet·est.

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.

dear; beloved; precious.

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.

adverb

in a sweet manner; sweetly.

noun

a sweet flavor, smell, or sound; sweetness.

something that is sweet or causes or gives a sweet flavor, smell, or sound.

sweets, Informal.

candied sweet potatoes.
(in direct address) sweetheart.

sweets, pie, cake, candy, and other foods high in sugar content.

Chiefly British.

a piece of candy; sweetmeat or bonbon.
a sweet dish or dessert, as a pudding or tart.

something pleasant to the mind or feelings.

a beloved person.

(in direct address) darling; sweetheart.

Nearby words

sweeps, sweepstake, sweepstakes, sweepy, sweer, sweet, sweet adeline, sweet almond, sweet almond oil, sweet alyssum, sweet and sour

Idioms

sweet on, Informal. infatuated with; in love with: He's sweet on her.

Origin of sweet

before 900; (adj. and adv.) Middle English swet(e), Old English swēte (adj.); (noun) Middle English swet(e), derivative of the adj.; cognate with Old Saxon swōti, Old High German swuozi (German süss); akin to Dutch zoet, Old Norse sætr, Gothic suts, Greek hēdýs sweet, Latin suādēre to recommend, suāvis pleasant

SYNONYMS FOR sweet

1 sugary.

5 melodious, mellifluous.

6 redolent, aromatic, scented.

8 winning, lovable, charming.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sweet ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

sweet·ly, adverbsweet·ness, nounnon·sweet, adjectiveo·ver·sweet, adjective

o·ver·sweet·ly, adverbo·ver·sweet·ness, nounsu·per·sweet, adjectivesu·per·sweet·ly, adverbsu·per·sweet·ness, noun

Can be confusedsuite sweet

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

Examples from the Web for sweetest

Or to follow up a raunch-com like The Sweetest Thing with a role in a Martin Scorsese epic (The Gangs of New York).
Cameron Diaz Deserves Better Than ‘Sex Tape’|Kevin Fallon|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hell, think of the center cut from a watermelon, that sweetest part.
Hillbilly Heaven: The History of Small-Batch Bourbon|Dane Huckelbridge|March 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yes,” he continued, smiling happily, “married to the sweetest girl on earth.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A former student described her as "the sweetest woman ever" in an online chat.
He Was My Favorite Student, and They Say He Killed a Baby|Brandy Zadrozny|September 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

He called Allemand “one of the sweetest people I ever knew.”
'Bachelor' Contestant Gia Allemand Dies at Age 29 After a 'Serious Medical Event'|Anna Klassen|August 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A feeling of sweetest peace and happiness swept over me, and tears sprang to my eyes.
A Woman who went to Alaska|May Kellogg Sullivan
It was not the sweetest way in the world, as all her ways had been, these many weeks, in Jack's imagination.
My Lord Duke|E. W. Hornung
Winsomeness of presence is greatest and sweetest when we are wholly unconscious that there is such a thing about us.
Quiet Talks with World Winners|S. D. Gordon
Pretty women dressed themselves in their richest garments and smiled their sweetest smiles to charm the conquerors.
Porto Rico|Arthur D. Hall
He took out a miniature from his breast—one of the sweetest young faces Jack had ever seen.
As We Sweep Through The Deep|Gordon Stables

British Dictionary definitions for sweetest (1 of 2)

Sweet

noun

Henry. 1845–1912, English philologist; a pioneer of modern phonetics. His books include A History of English Sounds (1874)

British Dictionary definitions for sweetest (2 of 2)

sweet

/ (swiːt) /

adjective

having or denoting a pleasant taste like that of sugar

agreeable to the senses or the mindsweet music

having pleasant manners; gentlea sweet child

(of wine, etc) having a relatively high sugar content; not dry

(of foods) not decaying or rancidsweet milk

not saltysweet water

free from unpleasant odourssweet air

containing no corrosive substancessweet soil

(of petrol) containing no sulphur compounds

sentimental or unrealistic

individual; particularthe 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 executeda sweet shot

sweet on fond of or infatuated with

keep someone sweet to ingratiate oneself in order to ensure cooperation

adverb

informal in a sweet manner

noun

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, etcthe sweets of success

US See sweet potato

Derived Formssweetish, adjectivesweetly, adverbsweetness, noun

Word Origin for sweet

Old English swēte; related to Old Saxon swōti, Old High German suozi, Old Norse sœtr, Latin suādus persuasive, suāvis sweet, Greek hēdus, Sanskrit svādu; see persuade, suave

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 sweetest (1 of 2)

sweet

adj.

Old English swete "pleasing to the senses, mind or feelings," from Proto-Germanic *swotijaz (cf. Old Saxon swoti, Swedish söt, Danish sød, Middle Dutch soete, Dutch zoet, Old High German swuozi, German süß), from PIE root *swad- "sweet, pleasant" (Sanskrit svadus "sweet;" Greek hedys "sweet, pleasant, agreeable," hedone "pleasure;" Latin suavis "sweet," suadere "to advise," properly "to make something pleasant to").

To be sweet on someone is first recorded 1690s. Sweet-talk (v.) dates from 1935; earliest uses seem to refer to conversation between black and white in segregated U.S. Sweet sixteen first recorded 1767. Sweet dreams as a parting to one going to sleep is attested from 1898, short for sweet dreams to you, etc. Sweet and sour in cooking is from 1723 and not originally of oriental food.

Word Origin and History for sweetest (1 of 2)

sweet

c.1300, "something sweet to the taste," also "beloved one," from sweet (adj.); the meaning "candy drop" is 1851 (earlier sweetie, 1721).

Idioms and Phrases with sweetest

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

sweet

adjective, sweet·er, sweet·est.

adverb

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of sweet

Examples from the Web for sweetest

British Dictionary definitions for sweetest (1 of 2)

Sweet

noun

British Dictionary definitions for sweetest (2 of 2)

sweet

adjective

adverb

noun

Word Origin for sweet

Word Origin and History for sweetest (1 of 2)

sweet

Word Origin and History for sweetest (1 of 2)

sweet

Idioms and Phrases with sweetest

sweet