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

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 To get a little flavor for the brand at home below are four recipes—two that are savory and two that are sweet—directly from both Sweet Laurel books. — Meggen Taylor, Forbes, "Paleo Baking Company, Sweet Laurel’s Founders Share Their Journey From Bakeshop To Cookbooks To Consumer Packaged Goods (With Recipes)," 6 May 2021 Sauvignon blanc is not as sweet as the tropical lime, mango, passion and stuff like that. — Kristine M. Kierzek, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Spirits of Norway Vineyard owners push to have Wisconsin wines ranked among the best," 6 May 2021 Comedian Tig Notaro and her wife, actress Stephanie Allynne, are as sweet as can be together. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "How Tig Notaro Found Love With Wife Stephanie Allynne After "A Pretty Crazy Time"," 2 May 2021 The saewoo jang, or marinated shrimp, is like a Korean aguachile, the raw shrimp meaty and sweet with a snappy, bouncy firmness. — Steph Cha, Los Angeles Times, "A chef turns to Instagram to survive, and his ready-to-eat Korean seafood takes off," 29 Apr. 2021 The moment was sweet, but a pang of vulnerability rose in my chest. — Rebekah Taussig, Time, "My Pandemic Baby Is Pulling Us Out of Our Cozy Cave. But How Will the World See a Disabled Mother Like Me?," 28 Apr. 2021 As if that isn't sweet enough, Ahmed proposed to his now wife in a super cute way, popping the question while the couple played Scrabble in a park. — Katherine Singh, refinery29.com, "The Oscars Are Just An Excuse For Riz Ahmed To Remind Us He’s Taken," 25 Apr. 2021 Mark, Easy — Easy didn't say my name though, and that was very sweet of him. — Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, "The Challenge: All Stars player explains why she quit: 'I was so pissed off'," 23 Apr. 2021 Knitted from plastic bottles with a sole that comes from a combination of sugar cane, jute, plastic bottles, and recycled EVA, these shoes are seriously sweet. — Tonne Goodman, Vogue, "Then and Now with Tonne Goodman–Shop Sustainable Sportswear for a Seriously Modern Look," 23 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun In the back, drop off your clothes for mending or hemming (or buy a D.I.Y. repair kit), and in the front, buy a coffee and some jalebi, an Indian sweet. — New York Times, "New York, It’s Time to Shop! (Masks on, Please)," 22 Apr. 2021 This is a very traditional Lebanese sweet made for celebrations around holidays. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Lebanese attavef with walnuts recipe," 1 Dec. 2020 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

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

Learn More about sweet

Dictionary Entries near sweet

Statistics for sweet

Last Updated

10 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Sweet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet. Accessed 15 May. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

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

sweet

noun

Medical Definition of sweet (Entry 2 of 2)