sweet

[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.

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

Related formssweet·ly, adverbsweet·ness, nounnon·sweet, adjectiveo·ver·sweet, adjectiveo·ver·sweet·ly, adverbo·ver·sweet·ness, nounsu·per·sweet, adjectivesu·per·sweet·ly, adverbsu·per·sweet·ness, noun

Can be confusedsuite sweet

Synonyms for sweet

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sweet ON THESAURUS.COM

1. sugary. 5. melodious, mellifluous. 6. redolent, aromatic, scented. 8. winning, lovable, charming.

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

Related Words for sweets

confectionery, dessert, confection, candy, pudding, pie, sweetmeats, comfit, pastries, goodies

Examples from the Web for sweets

Contemporary Examples of sweets

The camp has a market street where merchants set up shop and sell their goods, mostly small food items and sweets.
Millions of Refugees from Syria’s War Are Clinging to Life In Toxic Conditions
Christopher Looney
April 14, 2014
Flock to this beautiful tea house to get a taste of authentic Japanese teas and sweets.
The Sweet Side of New York City
Emily Chang
December 13, 2013
After all, there are countless pounds of sweets to be had, absolutely free.
Los Angeles, Washington & More Trick-or-Treat Capitals
The Daily Beast
October 31, 2012
She was rail-thin, in head-to-toe black, offering us sweets even as she ate none.
Tea With Nora Ephron, and Talk of Newsweek and Women Writers
Jessica Bennett, Jesse Ellison
June 28, 2012
No matter what nonsense the little devils got themselves into, Miss Crabtree was always tolerant, patient, and ready with sweets.
TV’s Best and Worst Teachers
Jaimie Etkin
September 4, 2011

Historical Examples of sweets

The man I remember who gave me sweets when I was a child had black hair; he has red!
Camps, Quarters and Casual Places
Archibald Forbes
In his later years Kendall tasted some of the sweets of success.
The Poems of Henry Kendall
Henry Kendall
She took her revenge in the evening by giving us a dish of sweets for dinner that I did not like.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
But it is when Lulla has undertaken to investigate a tin of sweets that she most suggests Agassiz.
Lotus Buds
Amy Carmichael
How unlike the variety of meats and sweets on which I feasted you!'
Gorgias
Plato

British Dictionary definitions for sweets

Sweet

noun

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

sweet

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 sweets

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.

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 sweets

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