sweet

1 of 3

adjective

1
a
: being, inducing, or marked by the one of the five basic taste sensations that is usually pleasing to the taste and typically induced by sugars (as sucrose or glucose) compare bitter entry 1 sense 1a, salty entry 1 sense 1b, sour entry 1 sense 1, umami entry 2
b(1)
of a beverage : containing a sweetening ingredient : not dry
(2)
of wine : retaining a portion of natural sugar
2
a
: pleasing to the mind or feelings : agreeable, gratifying
often used as a generalized term of approval
how sweet it is
b
: marked by gentle good humor or kindliness
a sweet disposition
c
: fragrant
a sweet aroma
d(1)
: delicately pleasing to the ear or eye
a sweet melody
(2)
: played in a straightforward melodic style
sweet jazz
f
: very good or appealing
a sweet job offer
a sweet sports car
3
: much loved : dear
4
a
: not sour, rancid, decaying, or stale : wholesome
sweet milk
b
: not salt or salted : fresh
sweet water
sweet butter
c
: free from excessive acidity
used especially of soil
d
: free from noxious gases and odors
e
: free from excess of acid, sulfur, or corrosive salts
sweet crude oil
5
: skillful, proficient
a sweet golf swing
6
used as an intensive
take your own sweet time
sweetly adverb
sweetness noun

sweet

2 of 3

adverb

: in a sweet manner

sweet

3 of 3

noun

1
: something that is sweet to the taste: such as
a
: a food (such as a candy or preserve) having a high sugar content
fill up on sweets
b
British : dessert
c
British : hard candy
2
: the pleasant taste sensation typically produced by sugars (such as sucrose or glucose) compare bitter entry 2 sense 1b, salty entry 2, sour entry 2 sense 1b, umami entry 1
3
: a pleasant or gratifying experience, possession, or state
4
5
a
archaic : fragrance
b
sweets plural, archaic : things having a sweet smell
Phrases
sweet on
: having a crush on

Examples of sweet in a Sentence

Adjective She likes her coffee sweet. That candy is too sweet. He's a really sweet guy. She has a sweet smile. It was sweet of her to take care of them. Noun I'm trying to cut down on sweets. remember to brush your teeth after eating sweets
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Among a carousel of photos and videos posted on Monday, Oct. 21, Madonna and two of her children spent some time backstage with Eilish, 22, who smiled while posing in the middle of the twins for one sweet snap. Becca Longmire, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024 Orange twist for garnish Combine the gin, sweet vermouth, and pomegranate liqueur in a mixing glass with ice. Lela London, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Adverb
As the Moon in your 7th House of Partnerships trines sweet-talking Venus in your 3rd House of Discussion, telling your story could convince other people who have a stake in the situation to help you. Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2022 African American Sports and Entertainment Group spend the past year sweet-talking the WNBA about putting a new team in Oakland? Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Oct. 2021
Noun
There will be live music and complimentary sweets and samosas. Shafaq Patel, Axios, 24 Oct. 2024 Farmers markets in Glendale Arrowhead Farmers Market Shop for fresh produce, cheese, pasta, baked goods, sweets, artisan products and hot foods. Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sweet 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English swete, from Old English swēte; akin to Old High German suozi sweet, Latin suadēre to urge, suavis sweet, Greek hēdys

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sweet was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sweet

Cite this Entry

“Sweet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sweet

1 of 3 adjective
1
a
: pleasing to the taste
b
: being or causing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is caused especially by table sugar and is identified especially by the taste buds at the front of the tongue compare bitter sense 1, salt entry 3 sense 1b, sour entry 1 sense 1
c
: having a relatively large sugar content
sweet wine
2
a
: pleasing to the mind or feelings : agreeable
victory is sweet
b
: marked by gentle good humor or kindliness
a sweet elderly couple
c
: fragrant
a sweet smell
d
: delicately pleasing to the ear or eye
a sweet melody
e
: very good or appealing
a sweet sports car
a sweet deal
3
: much loved : dear
4
a
: not sour, stale, or spoiled
sweet milk
b
: not salt or salted : fresh
sweet butter
c
: not having too much acid
sweet soil
d
: free from foul gases and odors
5
used as an intensive
take your own sweet time
sweetish
-ish
adjective
sweetly adverb
sweetness noun

sweet

2 of 3 adverb
: in a sweet way

sweet

3 of 3 noun
1
a
: a food (as a candy) having a high sugar content
b
British : dessert
2
: a sweet taste sensation
3
: a pleasant or agreeable experience, possession, or state
4

Medical Definition

sweet

1 of 2 adjective
: being or inducing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is typically induced by disaccharides and is mediated especially by receptors in taste buds at the front of the tongue compare bitter, salt entry 2 sense 2, sour entry 1
sweetness noun

sweet

2 of 2 noun
1
: something that is sweet to the taste
especially : a food (as a candy or preserve) having a high sugar content
don't fill up on sweets
2
: a sweet taste sensation

Biographical Definition

Sweet

biographical name

Henry 1845–1912 English phonetician

More from Merriam-Webster on sweet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!