sweet

\ 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 approvalhow 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 intensivetake 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

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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 Le Batard’s sweet tribute to his dad… And more. – Steven Ruiz and Charles McDonald handed out some NFL awards for the 2020 season, including MVP, Funniest Play of the Year, and more. — Andy Nesbitt, USA TODAY, "It's impossible to not root for the Browns in the playoffs," 6 Jan. 2021 Schwarzenegger, who is the father of Pratt's wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, was first introduced by the Jurassic World star, 41, with a sweet message. — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE.com, "Arnold Schwarzenegger Hilariously Confuses Son-in-Law Chris Pratt with Chris Evans: 'I've Screwed Up'," 5 Jan. 2021 Stir in the hot paprika and remaining 5 tablespoons sweet paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. — Christopher Kimball, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipes: Three hearty stews that let you skip a step," 5 Jan. 2021 Many families are experiencing this drudgery compounded by distance learning compounded by two-plus weeks of sweet, winter break freedom during which nobody asked anyone to answer a math problem on Zoom. — Elissa Strauss, CNN, "How to remotivate kids for more distant learning," 5 Jan. 2021 Hudson is wearing her hair down with a sweet little braid alongside her face. — Marci Robin, Allure, "Kate Hudson Is Kicking Off 2021 With Pink Hair," 5 Jan. 2021 But that can’t ruin Rachel’s dinner, which also includes a sweet-potato-tater-tots waffle with pork and bourbon maple syrup, along with chocolate mousse and cake for dessert. — Justin Curto, Vulture, "Below Deck Recap: Off the Deep End," 4 Jan. 2021 Enter the best essential oil diffusers, as chosen by Vogue, which emit a steady stream of invigorating grapefruit, say, or soothing lavender potent enough to lull you into a sweet sleep. — Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, "The 17 Best Essential Oil Diffusers for a Calm Space and Clear Mind," 4 Jan. 2021 The scent manages to harmonize sweet, spice, smoke, and damp and whisks one off to an otherworldly realm. — Travel, "This ancient town is the perfume capital of India," 4 Jan. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The Pavlova Wreath, pg. 222, will be a surprising and simple way to produce the most beautiful sweet of the season. — Dallas News, "Our 13 favorite baking cookbooks of 2020," 3 Dec. 2020 Topping the baked shell with creme patissiere, roasted rhubarb, fresh fruit, herbs, and edible flowers made for a drop-dead gorgeous sweet. — Dallas News, "Our 13 favorite baking cookbooks of 2020," 3 Dec. 2020 The cafe twists the sweets into cones and loops covered in chocolate and sprinkles. — Tirion Morris, azcentral, "Food Network show 'Man V. Food' will spotlight 3 Arizona restaurants. Here's when to watch," 16 May 2020 There's further evidence that kids’ taste buds are more sensitive to bitter-tasting foods, further pushing them to reach for the sweets. — Everyday Einstein Sabrina Stierwalt, Scientific American, "Why Does Sugar Taste So Good?," 6 Feb. 2020 Cheese and yogurt show up daily to weekly, in moderate portions; chicken and eggs are okay on occasion, but the use of other meats and sweets is very limited. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN, "Overcome the coronavirus meat shortage by adopting one of the world's healthiest diets," 20 May 2020 Its decorations were mainly candles and small presents, which were often homemade food and sweets. — Anne Lawrence-mathers, Quartz, "Reinvention of Christmas decorations is a historical tradition," 24 Dec. 2019 Many who participated in the auctions didn't want the sweets for themselves and asked Rutz to donate them to health care facilities. — NBC News, "Biden says Trump should order flags be flown at half-staff," 2 May 2020 Today's pandemic is not the first time Girl Scouts went above and beyond the sweets to give back to communities in need. — Alaa Elassar, CNN, "America's Girl Scouts have been impacting the world for generations. Now they're helping those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic," 14 Apr. 2020

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.

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Last Updated

10 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Sweet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet. Accessed 16 Jan. 2021.

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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

sweet

noun

Medical Definition of sweet (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : something that is sweet to the taste especially : a food (as a candy or preserve) having a high sugar content don't fill up on sweets

2 : a sweet taste sensation

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