sweeten

verb

sweet·​en ˈswē-tᵊn How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
sweetened; sweetening ˈswēt-niŋ How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
ˈswē-tᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

1
: to make sweet
2
: to soften the mood or attitude of
3
: to make less painful or trying
4
: to free from a harmful or undesirable quality or substance
especially : to remove sulfur compounds from
sweeten natural gas
5
: to make more valuable or attractive
sweeten the deal
: such as
a
: to increase (a pot not won on the previous deal) by anteing prior to another deal
b
: to place additional securities as collateral for (a loan)

intransitive verb

: to become sweet
sweetener
ˈswēt-nər How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
ˈswē-tᵊn-ər
noun

Examples of sweeten in a Sentence

He sweetened his cereal a little. He sweetened the deal with a large signing bonus.
Recent Examples on the Web The bill is sweetened with gratis little chocolate and peanut butter sweets. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 And, Amtrak has sweetened the savings on its children’s discount, so little ones between two and 12 years old may travel for 50 percent off with an accompanying adult. Kyler Alvord, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2024 And last but not least, Cardamom 1974, a warmer, sensual scent, which was sweetened with vanilla and gourmand notes. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 3 Feb. 2024 Keeping with the theme, ordering the Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Cold Brew gets you a silky cold brew sweetened with hazelnut syrup. Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Feb. 2024 It is lightly sweetened with stevia, with no artificial flavors or colorings. Casey Seiden, Parents, 24 Feb. 2024 That goal sweetens Lod’s return from a season-ending knee injury in 2023. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2024 To sweeten the deal, he’s built out the top floor of the building to soon house a bar, restaurant and meeting areas for employees. Daniel Cancel, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2024 Free shipping is available to customers as a way to sweeten the deal. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sweeten was circa 1552

Dictionary Entries Near sweeten

Cite this Entry

“Sweeten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweeten. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sweeten

verb
sweet·​en ˈswēt-ᵊn How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
sweetened; sweetening ˈswēt-niŋ How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become sweet
sweetener
ˈswēt-nər How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
-ᵊn-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sweeten

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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