bittersweet

1 of 2

noun

bit·​ter·​sweet ˈbi-tər-ˌswēt 

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

2 of 2

adjective

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

bittersweetly adverb

bittersweetness noun

Examples of bittersweet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Unlike oriental bittersweet, American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) is a North American native plant that doesn’t grow as aggressively and benefits wildlife. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025

Sondheim favored the bittersweet over the black and white, but not bittersweet in a soft-focus nostalgia way, more a twist-of-the-knife way. —Gemma Wilson, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025

Adjective

And while nostalgia is sometimes bittersweet, it can also be used to boost your mood. —Sherri Gordon, Health, 12 Dec. 2025

One senior called it a bittersweet feeling. —Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bittersweet

• celestite
• incomplete
• indiscreet
• marguerite
• obsolete
• overeat
• overheat
• parakeet
• stillingfleet
• superheat
• amit
• athlete

Kids Definition

bittersweet

1 of 2 noun

bit·​ter·​sweet ˈbit-ər-ˌswēt 

1

: a poisonous woody vine of the nightshade family with purple flowers and oval reddish orange berries

2

: a North American woody vine with yellow seedcases that open when ripe to show the scarlet seed covers

bittersweet

2 of 2 adjective

: being both bitter and sweet

a bittersweet story

Medical Definition

bittersweet

noun

bit·​ter·​sweet ˈbit-ər-ˌswēt, ˌbit-ər-ˈ 

: a sprawling poisonous weedy nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) with purple flowers and oval reddish orange berries that is the source of dulcamara