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 of sweeten

• 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

This quality of service at a massively low price is a good enough reason to make the switch, but the carrier is sweetening the pot. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026

Typically made with commodity-quality beans, this potent cup is brewed in a metal pot or filtered through cloth and sweetened with panela (unrefined cane sugar). — Nikkita Nair, Saveur, 10 Sep. 2026

Because the fall ratings were sweetened by the introduction of Nielsen’s new Big Data + Panel ratings currency, the comps with 2024-25 were basically of the apples-to-pineapples variety. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Murphy also mentions Zernell Gillie’s gourmand-adjacent Jazz, wherein honey sweetens tobacco, mahogany, and resinous opoponax (a type of myrrh). — Lauren Valenti, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026

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