sweet

adjective

\ ˈswēt

Definition of sweet

(Entry 1 of 4)

1a : 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

2a : 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

e : saccharine, cloying

f : very good or appealing a sweet job offer a sweet sports car

3 : much loved : dear

4a : 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

sweet on

: having a crush on

sweet

adverb

Definition of sweet (Entry 2 of 4)

: in a sweet manner

sweet

noun

Definition of sweet (Entry 3 of 4)

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 : darling, sweetheart

5a archaic : fragrance

b sweets plural, archaic : things having a sweet smell

Sweet

biographical name

\ ˈswēt

Definition of Sweet (Entry 4 of 4)

Henry 1845–1912 English phonetician

Other Words from sweet Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about sweet

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for sweet

Synonyms: Adjective

beloved, cherished, darling, dear, fair-haired, favored, favorite, fond, loved, pet, precious, special, white-headed

Synonyms: Noun

confection, sweetmeat

Antonyms: Adjective

unbeloved

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

Our favorites: ▪ That $8.99 extra-dry prosecco, a little sweeter but lemony, perfect for tossing in an Aperol spritz on a fall afternoon. — Kathleen Purvis, charlotteobserver, "Should you get excited about Lidl’s wines?," 25 Aug. 2017 Also here is a sweet drawing of Ms. Ashoona, her grandmother, standing slightly askew in a polka-dot kerchief and Nana Mouskouri-style eyeglasses. — Jason Farago And Martha Schwendener, New York Times, "What to See in New York Art Galleries This Week," 24 Aug. 2017 A post shared by 송다니 (@songdani) on Oct 26, 2016 at 10:35am PDT For an unexpected, subtle look, tie a skinny scarf in a sweet little bow and let the ends cascade down the side of your outfit. 5. — Kaitlin Menza, Redbook, "11 Fun, Fresh Ways to Wear a Scarf," 22 Aug. 2017 By some reckonings, there were few places that should have been as sweet to watch a total solar eclipse than St. Joseph. — Rick Montgomery, Eric Adler, Scott Canon, Joe Robertson, David Frese, Jason Hancock, Judy Thomas, kansascity, "Whether soggy or sensational, total solar eclipse awes KC region," 21 Aug. 2017 Cloud cover threatens to reduce visibility in the central U.S., and threats of thunderstorms threaten the sweet views near Charleston, South Carolina. — Jen Kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "A Procrastinator’s Guide to Catching the Solar Eclipse," 21 Aug. 2017 Doc Popcorn/Dippin' Dots brings sweet and savory together in Center Court across from Victoria's Secret. — Bob Bong, Daily Southtown, "Durbins restaurant to call it quits in Summit," 15 Aug. 2017 Thanks to the fine folks at International Delight, your mornings are about to get a whole lot sweeter. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "International Delight Just Released a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Creamer, And No You’re Not Dreaming," 8 Aug. 2017 At least dear, sweet Pod will make an appearance in one of those 50 minutes. — Matt Miller, Esquire, "Here's Some Bad News About the Next Game of Thrones Episode," 4 Aug. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

His wife hawked another box of sweets farther up the line of traffic, perching their 18-month-old daughter on one hip. — Los Angeles Times, "Trump administration appears to violate law in forcing asylum seekers back to Mexico, officials warn," 28 Aug. 2019 As home cooks, we are often obsessed with this idea of dazzling our guests with fancy, mile-high sweets that took us all day to make. — Priya Krishna, Bon Appétit, "If I’m Cutting Fresh Fruit for Dessert, I Probably Love You," 29 July 2019 Harry Winston, the gemologist who founded his eponymous jewelry house in 1932, often selected saturated stones reminiscent of sweets for his designs. — Vanessa Lawrence, ELLE Decor, "Harry Winston's Latest Jewelry Collection Will Give You a Sugar High!," 12 June 2019 Every session starts with sweets, a poetry reading and tea. — Maria L. La Ganga, www.latimes.com, "What's L.A. reading? Our habits are as diverse as the city itself," 6 June 2019 Despite the temptation of the sweets, the free rat chose to release its friend in most cases. — National Geographic, "Episode 3: Rats and humans—a love story," 25 June 2019 Nearly four dozen restaurants, dessert shops and cafes will be on either the Taste’s north or south route, offering everything from pasta to pizza, seafood to sweets, beer to wine and cocktails and other beverages. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Take a bite out of San Diego’s tastiest neighborhood at the Taste of Little Italy," 13 June 2019 The beloved New Orleans Italian ice cream and sweets shop has opted not to have its own booth at the festival, a spokesman said. — Ann Maloney, NOLA.com, "What's new with New Orleans Jazz Fest 2018's food lineup," 6 Apr. 2018 On the flip side, parents also don’t want to offer their children unlimited sweets and screen time, only to have their children take full advantage of that offer. — Emily Ayshford, Quartz, "How to trick your kids into eating—and loving—healthy food," 13 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sweet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for sweet

sweet

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of sweet

(Entry 1 of 2)

: containing a lot of sugar

: very gentle, kind, or friendly

chiefly British : very pretty or cute

sweet

noun

English Language Learners Definition of sweet (Entry 2 of 2)

: a food that contains a lot of sugar : a sweet food

British : a piece of candy

British : a sweet food served at the end of a meal

See the full definition for sweet in the English Language Learners Dictionary

sweet

adjective

\ ˈswēt

sweeter; sweetest

Kids Definition of sweet

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : containing or tasting of sugar sweet muffins

2 : having a pleasant sound, smell, or appearance a sweet fragrance sweet voices

3 : very gentle, kind, or friendly a sweet personality It was sweet of you to remember.

4 : pleasing to the mind or feelings : agreeable sweet memories

5 : much loved : dear my sweet child

6 : agreeable to oneself but not to others You took your sweet time!

7 : not sour, stale, or spoiled sweet milk

8 : not salt or salted sweet butter

9 : having a mild taste : not sharp sweet peppers

sweet on

: in love with

sweet

noun

Kids Definition of sweet (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : something (as candy) that contains or tastes of sugar

2 : darling entry 1 sense 1, dear

sweet

adjective

\ ˈswēt

Medical Definition of sweet

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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