sweetheart
Americannoun
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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
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.
Ashleigh Stanley did not bother with make-up when she tied the knot with childhood sweetheart Jake Stanley, 29, at Llanerch Vineyard in Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
She had entered college with dreams of becoming a lawyer, but had set aside that vision to marry her high-school sweetheart and raise children.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Now that her children are grown, Kaczmarek has recently entered a new phase of life, newly married to her high school sweetheart, with whom she reconnected during their 50th high school reunion.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
He had two sons from his first marriage to his high school sweetheart Dianne Holechek, which lasted 30 years, and a son and a daughter with his second wife Gena O'Kelley.
From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026
“Oh, sweetheart, you haven't messed up anything. You are perfect, so perfect, do you know that? I remember when you were born. The moment I saw you, that was my first thought: she’s perfect.”
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
