bittersweet

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noun bit·ter·sweet \ˈbi-tər-ˌswēt\

Definition of bittersweet

1 : something that is bittersweet; especially : pleasure accompanied by suffering or regret … the bittersweet of their long separation … — Christopher Morley
2 botany a : a poisonous Eurasian woody vine (Solanum dulcamara) of the nightshade family that has purple flowers and oval reddish berries and is naturalized (see naturalize 4) in North Americab : a North American poisonous woody vine (Celastrus scandens) of the staff-tree family having clusters of small greenish flowers succeeded by yellow capsules (see ¹capsule 2a) that open when ripe and disclose the scarlet aril

14th century

adjective bit·ter·sweet

1 : being at once bitter and sweet; especially : pleasant but including or marked by elements of suffering or regret a bittersweet ballad bittersweet memories
2 : of or relating to a prepared chocolate containing little sugar bittersweet chocolate chips

adverb

noun

1576

adjective

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noun bit·ter·sweet \ˈbi-tər-ˌswēt\

1 : a poisonous vine originally of Europe and Asia with purple flowers and red berries
2 : a poisonous North American woody climbing plant with orange seed capsules that open when ripe to reveal red seeds