sweeten

verb

sweet·​en ˈswē-tᵊn 

sweetened; sweetening ˈswē-tᵊn-iŋ 

ˈswēt-niŋ

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, 

ˈswē-tᵊn-ər 

noun

Synonyms of sweeten

• candy
• enhance
• improve
• spruce

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 nutty richness of the sherry is immediately apparent, sweetened and charmed by the orgeat, and the sherry as much as anything is what sets the Fog Cutter apart. — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 1 Aug. 2026

That’s probably thanks to the fact that the bar isn’t sweetened with stevia, sugar alcohols, or monk fruit, but rather a combination of real maple syrup and honey. — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026

Building off the evaluator’s assessment, the Braves would probably need to add a Connor Essenburg or an Isaiah Drake to sweeten the offer. — Jesús Cano, New York Times, 31 July 2026

An at-home device lets users build treatment into their routine consistently, which is often what drives the best outcomes and warranties can sweeten the deal, as with the CHROMA Skin Tech mask's two-year coverage. — Pooja Mistry, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing sweeten

• pre-sweeten
• sugar/sweeten the pill
• sweeten up

Rhymes for sweeten

• beaten
• cretin
• eaten
• teton
• wheaten
• phenacetin
• sisseton
• unbeaten
• uneaten
• wahpeton

Kids Definition

sweeten

verb

sweet·​en ˈswēt-ᵊn 

sweetened; sweetening ˈswēt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to make or become sweet

sweetener

ˈswēt-nər 

-ᵊn-ər

noun