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
There’s a sweet sincerity to the performance, and the audience is enthusiastic and encouraging. Jonah Gercke, SPIN, 15 Mar. 2024 By the end of their sweet interaction, after a handshake and several hugs, Peso promised Contreras full access to his future shows. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 Kerchiefs of the finished product, sprinkled with crushed pistachios, are draped like a tent over hollow puffs of fried gnocchi and sweet dark cherries in mustard syrup, what Italians call mostarda. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Ayesha captured the sweet father-son moment of Canon smiling and looking up at his dad. 15 of 23 Stephen Curry and His Family on Father's Day Ayesha posted an adorable roundup of photos of her kids with Stephen to her Instagram in a sweet tribute to her husband on Father's Day 2022. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 Spring has arrived and to mark the occasion, Wendy's is celebrating with a new Frosty flavor that is sure to inspire some sweet springtime nostalgia. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2024 Goldbelly: This e-commerce site Pi Day sale offers up to 31.4% of sweet or savory pie items. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 The sweet pattern and style are fun, but this coat is probably insufficient for constant, heavy rains in cold weather. Maya Polton, Parents, 14 Mar. 2024 The fat on the pork belly jiggles perfectly, nestled up against a mound of pickled mustard greens in a sweet and salty red sauce. Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 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
After losing their bakery and patriarch in a rocket strike, the refugees fled Ukraine and the war with Russia and began anew in Los Angeles, first selling their handmade dumplings and sweets online, then with a bricks-and-mortar location. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Yet a massive change is afoot that threatens to upend this supply chain and jolt prices for sweets, skin-care products and herbal medicines. Mumbi Gitau, Fortune Europe, 27 Feb. 2024 But there are gems that are a Sunday afternoon drive away as well, serving up the best beef, sweets and overall experiences a Hoosier can have. The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024 And those who are giving up sweets for the Lenten season will have to hold off on the boxes of chocolate. Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2024 My father loved to celebrate and indulge in sweets from time to time! Jennifer Tanaka, Orange County Register, 6 Feb. 2024 In this Netflix game show, (extremely) amateur chefs do their best to recreate Pinterest-worthy sweets, and the varied results inspire more belly laughs than belly rumbles. Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 3 Feb. 2024 Children milled around and a young man passed a box of sweets. Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2024 Red meat and sweets are eaten rarely, but fish, which are packed with good-for-you omega-3 fatty acids, are a staple. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024

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

13th 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 19 Mar. 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
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