sweeten

verb

sweet·​en ˈswē-tᵊn 

sweetened; sweetening ˈswē-tᵊn-iŋ 

ˈswēt-niŋ

transitive verb

1

: to make sweet

2

: to soften the mood or attitude of

3

: to make less painful or trying

4

: to free from a harmful or undesirable quality or substance

especially : to remove sulfur compounds from

sweeten natural gas

5

: to make more valuable or attractive

sweeten the deal

: such as

a

: to increase (a pot not won on the previous deal) by anteing prior to another deal

b

: to place additional securities as collateral for (a loan)

intransitive verb

: to become sweet

sweetener

ˈswēt-nər

ˈswē-tᵊn-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• candy
• enhance
• improve
• spruce

Examples of sweeten in a Sentence

He sweetened his cereal a little.

He sweetened the deal with a large signing bonus.

Recent Examples on the Web

The programs agreed late last year to move to Kansas City in a deal that sweetened the financial pot for the Bearcats. —Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 11 July 2025

The fast-food chain is sweetening the deal this week to get one additional free medium order with a $1 minimum purchase in the app through Sunday, July 13. —Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2025

Allow its textural richness to sweeten your bed or sofa, and thank us later. —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 2 July 2025

This comes on the heels of Missouri passing the Show-Me Sports Investment Act, which also sweetens the deal for the teams, paying up to half for the teams’ new homes. —Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing sweeten

• pre-sweeten
• sugar/sweeten the pill
• sweeten up

Rhymes for sweeten

• beaten
• cretin
• eaten
• teton
• wheaten
• phenacetin
• sisseton
• unbeaten
• uneaten
• wahpeton

Kids Definition

sweeten

verb

sweet·​en ˈswēt-ᵊn 

sweetened; sweetening ˈswēt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to make or become sweet

sweetener

ˈswēt-nər 

-ᵊn-ər

noun