sweetheart

1 of 2

noun

sweet·​heart ˈswēt-ˌhärt 

plural sweethearts

1

a

—used as a term of endearment

Jin-Ho's mother said, "The binky is all gone, sweetheart," but Xiu-Mei wouldn't hush.

—Anne Tyler

b

—used as an informal term of address

As the nurse prepared her shot, Grace sat on her mother's lap. … "This won't take two seconds," the nurse said. "My name's Nina. What's your name, sweetheart?"

—Bonnie Washuk

Chuck Tranium is the president of a talent agency, where he wears alligator shirts and calls his secretaries "sweetheart."

—Lucinda Franks

2

: someone who is loved

often, specifically : a romantic partner

… a music studio manager who plans to wed her college sweetheart this fall.

—Jennifer Oldham

3

: favorite entry 1 sense 1

It only makes sense that Vogue would choose America's sweetheart Jennifer Lawrence to grace the cover of its 125th September issue.

—Andrea Park

Heck, Mike Wallace isn't everybody's sweetheart either but he certainly contributes a lot to the success of 60 Minutes.

—Don Merrill

4

: a generally likable person

Some customers are total sweethearts. Others require a tremendous amount of hand-holding, follow-up service, and support.

—Paul B. Brown

especially : one who is kind and gentle

Most important, she often stays a few minutes to chat. … "She's a real sweetheart," an … elderly woman tells me. "What would I do without her?"

—Chris Jerome

It was often through this task—which he approached with a blend of gentle, down-to-earth humor and humility—that he gained the respect and adoration of many agents. It was common to be approached at trade shows by agents saying, "Tell Matt he is such a sweetheart."

—Kenneth Shapiro

5

: a remarkable one of its kind

The Camaro was a sweetheart except for its Wiesmann gearbox, which had me thoroughly befuddled.

—Car and Driver

see also sweetheart deal

sweetheart

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to an agreement between an employer and a labor union official arranged privately for their benefit usually at the expense of the workers

a sweetheart contract

broadly : arranged in private for the benefit of a few at the expense of many

a sweetheart deal

Synonyms

Noun

• beloved
• darling
• dear
• flame
• hon
• honey
• love
• squeeze [slang]
• sweet
• sweetie
• sweetie pie
• truelove

Examples of sweetheart in a Sentence

Noun

Be a sweetheart and help your grandmother.

She is such a little sweetheart.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The high school sweethearts, who married in 2022 but have been dating since 2012, also share daughter Sterling Skye, 3, together. —Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024

In a 2002 interview with Blender, the rapper shared the benefits of marrying your high school sweetheart. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 16 Apr. 2024

America’s sweetheart and its most captivating reality-star-slash-ex-con? —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2024

Both were married for more than 40 years to their high-school sweethearts. —Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024

But for the less lucky, an office sweetheart could turn out to be just another frog—one whose ribbits haunt them amid the drone of office chatter. —Jasmine Li, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2024

The movie wonderfully pairs Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps, as childhood friends turned high-school and college sweethearts, chasing each other as well as their own dreams of basketball stardom. —The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024

The childhood sweethearts tied the knot in March 2022. —Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024

Clark is our national sweetheart at least by media nomination and the Girl Next Door (albeit in an all-white neighborhood). —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024

Adjective

This romantic shade is perfect for a sweetheart French manicure. —Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 31 Jan. 2024

But meanwhile, the European Commission is pressing on with its campaign against sweetheart corporate tax deals. —David Meyer, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2020

In exchange for a sweetheart deal, the company will bring tens of thousands of high-paying jobs and spend $5 billion in capital expenditures. —Alex Shephard, New Republic, 19 Jan. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1942, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing sweetheart

• sweetheart deal
• sweetheart neckline

Kids Definition

sweetheart

noun

sweet·​heart

ˈswēt-ˌhärt

: a person whom one loves