sweeten

verb

sweet·​en ˈswē-tᵊn How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
sweetened; sweetening ˈswē-tᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
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 How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Plus, Disney is sweetening the deal for families staying at select Disney Resort hotels by offering complimentary admission to Typhoon Lagoon Water Park or Blizzard Beach on their check-in day. Martie Bowser, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025 To put that into perspective, one can of diet soda sweetened with aspartame contains around 200 to 300 milligrams, according to the World Health Organization. Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025 The palate itself is notably creamy, leading with vanilla and passionfruit custard before diving into sugar-and-spice coated cashews, sweetened green tea, and a barely-there thread of matcha. David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025 And to sweeten the deal, plenty of brand-new denim is also 25% off for a limited time only. Kelsey Stewart, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sweeten

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sweeten was circa 1552

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Cite this Entry

“Sweeten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweeten. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

sweeten

verb
sweet·​en ˈswēt-ᵊn How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
sweetened; sweetening ˈswēt-niŋ How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become sweet
sweetener
ˈswēt-nər How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
-ᵊn-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sweeten

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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