sweet

1 of 3

adjective

ˈswēt 

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

e

: saccharine, cloying

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

: darling, sweetheart

5

a

archaic : fragrance

b

sweets plural, archaic : things having a sweet smell

Phrases

sweet on

: having a crush on

Synonyms

Adjective

• beloved
• cherished
• darling
• dear
• fair-haired
• favored
• favorite
• fond
• loved
• pet
• precious
• special
• white-headed

Noun

• confection
• sweetmeat

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

Of course, anyone with a low tolerance for sugary sweet, sometimes sticky sentimentality would want to suck on a pack of lemons afterwards. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024

The electric thrill of Sichuan pepper works well in sweet dishes, too. —Megan Zhang, Saveur, 13 Nov. 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

When the rationing of sugar and sweets ended in September 1953, the average adult’s daily sugar consumption in the UK nearly doubled almost immediately, from about 40 grams to 80 grams. —Sam Tupper, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024

The festival’s first day is dedicated to crows, with offerings of grain, seeds and sweets scattered on rooftops and streets. —Peter Guo, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2024

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

Phrases Containing sweet

• be sweet on
• boiled sweet
• home sweet home
• in one's (own) sweet time
• keep someone sweet
• short and sweet
• sticky-sweet
• sweet alyssum
• sweet-and-sour
• sweet basil
• sweet bay
• sweet birch
• sweet cherry
• sweet chocolate
• sweet cicely
• sweet clover
• sweet corn
• sweet dreams
• sweet FA
• sweet fern
• sweet flag
• sweet gum
• sweet marjoram
• sweet nothings
• sweet orange
• sweet pea
• sweet pepper
• sweet potato
• sweet sorghum
• sweet spot
• sweet talk
• sweet tooth
• sweet william
• sweet woodruff
• take one's (own) sweet time
• whispering sweet nothings

Kids Definition

sweet

1 of 3 adjective

ˈswēt 

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

: darling entry 1 sense 1

Medical Definition

sweet

1 of 2 adjective

ˈswēt 

: 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

ˈswēt 

Henry 1845–1912 English phonetician