Definition of bittersweet
(Entry 1 of 2)
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 sense 4) in North America
b
: a North American poisonous woody vine (Celastrus scandens) of the staff-tree family having clusters of small greenish flowers succeeded by yellow capsules (see capsule entry 1 sense 2a) that open when ripe and disclose the scarlet aril
bittersweet
adjectiveDefinition of bittersweet (Entry 2 of 2)
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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for bittersweet
The first known use of bittersweet was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century