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

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Synonyms & Antonyms for sweet

Synonyms: Adjective

Synonyms: Noun

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 This one is too sweet, and lacks the nutty graham flavor of its cousin. — Los Angeles Times, "The official Girl Scout cookie power rankings," 24 Feb. 2021 And just the way that Justin and Milo played that scene was so sweet. — EW.com, "This Is Us director, writer break down Kevin's dream reunion, that final scene, and more," 24 Feb. 2021 This photo of him pushing Khai's stroller is just so sweet. — Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, "Gigi Hadid Created a Play Area for Daughter Khai Inside Her Home Office and It's Absolutely Gorgeous," 22 Feb. 2021 Review: Our hosts were so sweet and quick to respond to all of our messages. — Ariella Elovic, The New Yorker, "Airbnb Reviews Decoded," 21 Feb. 2021 Cabbage’s flavor can be bitter and/or sweet depending on the variety, often with a hint of pepperiness thrown in. — Washington Post, "Cabbage is always there for you. Here’s how to give it the respect it deserves.," 19 Feb. 2021 This peanut sauce is sweet and savory, bringing an Asian flavor to your Super Bowl wings. — Chuck Blount, ExpressNews.com, "Recipe: Thai Peanut Wings," 25 Jan. 2021 But this particular offering is pretty average; the toppings are good enough but the sauce is too sweet and pasty. — Los Angeles Times, "The official frozen pizza power rankings," 27 Jan. 2021 Before after a near-death experience—is sweet and charming. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Soul Is Another Cerebral Winner From Pixar," 25 Dec. 2020 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

27 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Sweet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet. Accessed 3 Mar. 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)