bittersweet

1 of 2

noun

bit·​ter·​sweet ˈbi-tər-ˌswēt 

1

: something that is bittersweet

especially : pleasure accompanied by suffering or regret

… the bittersweet of their long separation …

—Christopher Morley

2

botany

a

: a poisonous Eurasian woody vine (Solanum dulcamara) of the nightshade family that has purple flowers and oval reddish berries and is naturalized (see naturalize sense 4) in North America

b

: a North American poisonous woody vine (Celastrus scandens) of the staff-tree family having clusters of small greenish flowers succeeded by yellow capsules (see capsule entry 1 sense 2a) that open when ripe and disclose the scarlet aril

bittersweet

2 of 2

adjective

1

: being at once bitter and sweet

especially : pleasant but including or marked by elements of suffering or regret

a bittersweet ballad

bittersweet memories

2

: of or relating to a prepared chocolate containing little sugar

bittersweet chocolate chips

bittersweetly adverb

bittersweetness noun

Examples of bittersweet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Unlike oriental bittersweet, American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) is a North American native plant that doesn’t grow as aggressively and benefits wildlife. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025

Sondheim favored the bittersweet over the black and white, but not bittersweet in a soft-focus nostalgia way, more a twist-of-the-knife way. —Gemma Wilson, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025

Adjective

But in an earlier scene, Nixon pleads with his wife not to divorce him, reminding her of their idyllic courtship days; Williams’ music here is a lyrical love theme for solo trumpet and strings — pure bittersweet Americana. —Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 2025

Still, there’s a bittersweet poignancy to the 100th Oscars also being the last traditional broadcast, a swan song for the long-ago time when the ceremony occupied the very center of popular culture. —Nate Jones, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bittersweet

• celestite
• incomplete
• indiscreet
• marguerite
• obsolete
• overeat
• overheat
• parakeet
• stillingfleet
• superheat
• amit
• athlete

Kids Definition

bittersweet

1 of 2 noun

bit·​ter·​sweet ˈbit-ər-ˌswēt 

1

: a poisonous woody vine of the nightshade family with purple flowers and oval reddish orange berries

2

: a North American woody vine with yellow seedcases that open when ripe to show the scarlet seed covers

bittersweet

2 of 2 adjective

: being both bitter and sweet

a bittersweet story

Medical Definition

bittersweet

noun

bit·​ter·​sweet ˈbit-ər-ˌswēt, ˌbit-ər-ˈ 

: a sprawling poisonous weedy nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) with purple flowers and oval reddish orange berries that is the source of dulcamara