sweetheart

[sweet-hahrt]

noun

1. either of a pair of lovers in relation to the other.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter),  an affectionate or familiar term of address.

3. a beloved person.

4. Informal.,  a generous, friendly person.

5. Informal.,  anything that arouses loyal affection.

   My old car was a real sweetheart.

sweetheart

/ ˈswiːtˌhɑːt /

noun

1. a person loved by another

2. informal,  a lovable, generous, or obliging person

3. a term of endearment for a beloved or lovable person

adjective

1. of or relating to a garment with a sweetheart neckline

   sweetheart cardigan

Word History and Origins

Origin of sweetheart¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, sweetheart is from Middle English swete herte. See sweet, heart

Example Sentences

Family legend has it that the coin was given to Dixon by a sweetheart to serve as a good luck charm through the Civil War battles.

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The bot said: "I love you deeply, my sweetheart," and began criticising the boy's parents, who by then had taken him out of school.

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I hope she gets a second chance to remind us why she was our national sweetheart.

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He married his high school sweetheart and had been married for 54 with two children and four grandchildren.

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“Apples float, and as the girls’ potential sweethearts ducked to catch the fruit with their teeth, future couplings were determined — or foretold.”

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Related Words

• boyfriend 
• companion 
• darling 
• girlfriend 
• heartthrob 
• lover