bittersweet

1 of 2

noun

bit·​ter·​sweet ˈbi-tər-ˌswēt How to pronounce bittersweet (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
My relationship [with] clothes is sort of bittersweet. Ruth Etiesit Samuel, Essence, 19 Feb. 2025 The recipe also calls for two kinds of chocolate—in this case, milk and bittersweet—to create a more complex, sophisticated flavor that’s not overly sweet. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
Conversely, some women experience bittersweet emotions associated with Mother’s Day. Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 Yet there’s a bittersweet tinge to this more communal but somewhat regimented form of domestication to accompany Cassian’s genuine physical pain over a blaster injury, sustained on some off-screen mission in the past year. Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for bittersweet

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bittersweet was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Bittersweet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bittersweet. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

bittersweet

1 of 2 noun
bit·​ter·​sweet ˈbit-ər-ˌswēt How to pronounce bittersweet (audio)
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 How to pronounce bittersweet (audio)
: a sprawling poisonous weedy nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) with purple flowers and oval reddish orange berries that is the source of dulcamara

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