sweet

1 of 3

adjective

ˈswēt 

1

a

: 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

2

a

: 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

4

a

: 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

sweetly adverb

sweetness noun

sweet

2 of 3

adverb

: in a sweet manner

sweet

3 of 3

noun

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

5

a

archaic : fragrance

b

sweets plural, archaic : things having a sweet smell

Phrases

sweet on

: having a crush on

Synonyms

Adjective

• adorable
• dear
• beautiful
• lovely
• precious

Noun

• confection
• candy
• dessert

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

Try the Mezzrole, a piquant blend of French limes, Pickett’s spicy-sweet ginger syrup, and tart rice vinegar that finishes with notes of sea salt. —Chala June, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Oct. 2025

However, the sugars also work to counteract bitter flavors in certain veggies, which is why some cold-hardy crops taste sweeter and better after frost. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2025

Adverb

Uncommon Goods Candy of the World Advent Calendar Take your sweet-toothed teen on a trip with a month’s worth of candies from around the world. —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 9 Oct. 2025

Casting the sweet-faced and unflappably mellow Dano — Eli Sunday his Vadim Baranov is not — as Putin’s kingmaker also assures that Assayas isn’t keen on high drama, with conversations in conference rooms plotting totalitarian takeover rarely rising above library-voice level. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025

Noun

Shoppers are reportedly opting for items such as gummies and other colorful sweets, according to ABC News. —Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025

But data shows which sweets are the most popular this time of year. —Cody Godwin, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English swete, from Old English swēte; akin to Old High German suozi sweet, Latin suadēre to urge, suavis sweet, Greek hēdys

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sweet

• be sweet on
• boiled sweet
• home sweet home
• in one's (own) sweet time
• keep someone sweet
• short and sweet
• sticky-sweet
• sweet alyssum
• sweet-and-sour
• sweet basil
• sweet bay
• sweet birch
• sweet cherry
• sweet chocolate
• sweet cicely
• sweet clover
• sweet corn
• sweet dreams
• sweet FA
• sweet fern
• sweet flag
• sweet gum
• sweet marjoram
• sweet nothings
• sweet orange
• sweet pea
• sweet pepper
• sweet potato
• sweet sorghum
• sweet spot
• sweet talk
• sweet tooth
• sweet william
• sweet woodruff
• take one's (own) sweet time
• whispering sweet nothings

Rhymes for sweet

• beat
• beet
• bleat
• cheat
• cleat
• creat
• deet
• eat
• feat
• feet
• fleet
• greet

Kids Definition

sweet

1 of 3 adjective

ˈswēt 

1

a

: pleasing to the taste

b

: being or causing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is caused especially by table sugar and is identified especially by the taste buds at the front of the tongue compare bitter sense 1, salt entry 3 sense 1b, sour entry 1 sense 1

c

: having a relatively large sugar content

sweet wine

2

a

: pleasing to the mind or feelings : agreeable

victory is sweet

b

: marked by gentle good humor or kindliness

a sweet elderly couple

c

: fragrant

a sweet smell

d

: delicately pleasing to the ear or eye

a sweet melody

e

: very good or appealing

a sweet sports car

a sweet deal

3

: much loved : dear

4

a

: not sour, stale, or spoiled

sweet milk

b

: not salt or salted : fresh

sweet butter

c

: not having too much acid

sweet soil

d

: free from foul gases and odors

5

—used as an intensive

take your own sweet time

sweetish

-ish

adjective

sweetly adverb

sweetness noun

sweet

2 of 3 adverb

: in a sweet way

sweet

3 of 3 noun

1

a

: a food (as a candy) having a high sugar content

b

British : dessert

2

: a sweet taste sensation

3

: a pleasant or agreeable experience, possession, or state

4

: darling entry 1 sense 1

Medical Definition

sweet

1 of 2 adjective

ˈswēt 

: 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

sweetness noun

sweet

2 of 2 noun

1

: something that is sweet to the taste

especially : a food (as a candy or preserve) having a high sugar content

don't fill up on sweets

2

: a sweet taste sensation

Biographical Definition

Sweet

biographical name

ˈswēt 

Henry 1845–1912 English phonetician