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

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

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 Some kids held cardboard boxes selling items ranging from cigarettes, cell phone airtime, sweets and clothing. — Washington Post, "Zimbabwe’s children suffer from country’s economic crisis," 11 Aug. 2019 First, avoid added sugars, including sugary drinks, juice, and sweets. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "When Do Babies Start Teething? The Facts Every Parent Should Know," 9 Aug. 2019 But hurry, these stuffed sweets will only be available for a limited time. — Hannah Chubb, PEOPLE.com, "Krispy Kreme and Reese's Have Teamed Up to Create New Chocolate and Peanut Butter-Stuffed Donuts," 5 Aug. 2019 While the colorful sweets are attractive to the hundreds of buyers attending the show, so are the bright blue, pink and purple bath balms. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, sun-sentinel.com, "Just chillin': CBD won’t get you high, but it can ease what ails you, vendors say," 3 Aug. 2019 Like, a sweets company would be able to supply ice cream. — David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, "Deadly heat wave in Japan renews concerns for 2020 Summer Olympics," 31 July 2019 The Institute for Public Policy Research, a leftish think-tank, recently called for more food taxes and for sweets, crisps and soft drinks to be sold in plain packets, as cigarettes already are. — The Economist, "Boris Johnson may reverse Britain’s embrace of sin taxes," 4 July 2019 But walking around the charming downtown is a treat in itself, chock full of mom-and-pop shops selling gifts, sweets, art, and even a year-round Christmas boutique. — Kellie Hwang, Indianapolis Star, "You can get to these 10 unique road trip destinations from Indy in 5 hours or less," 3 July 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.

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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