sweetness and light
noun
1
: a harmonious combination of beauty and enlightenment viewed as a hallmark of culture
2
a
: amiable reasonableness of disposition
they were all sweetness and light
b
: an untroubled or harmonious state or condition
but all was not sweetness and light
Examples of sweetness and light in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and light notes of molasses that complement the pumpkin flavor.
—
Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2023
Will this sweetness and light continue throughout his forthcoming Dahl shorts, or will Anderson complicate the matter further?
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2023
Although people have harvested its honey and wax—sweetness and light—for thousands of years, the honeybee has not been tamed.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
The new linkage makes the drag strip all sweetness and light instead of the prelude to a visit to the chiropractor.
—Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2023
With its perfectly balanced sweetness and light carbonation, the Pink Bubbly provides a refreshing sip with every single can. 13.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 15 June 2023
The quads appeared often in newspapers and newsreels, represented as sources of sweetness and light at a time when Shirley Temple was at her most famous and little kids were working overtime in popular culture to distract Americans from the dire consequences of the Great Depression.
—Rebecca Onion, Washington Post, 14 June 2023
For rural liberals like me, Joe Biden’s win certainly didn’t usher in a new era of sweetness and light.
—Bill Donahue, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2021
Raising Corvettes for a living isn't all sweetness and light—just ask the Corvette development group.
—Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2023
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Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2023
Will this sweetness and light continue throughout his forthcoming Dahl shorts, or will Anderson complicate the matter further?
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2023
Although people have harvested its honey and wax—sweetness and light—for thousands of years, the honeybee has not been tamed.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
The new linkage makes the drag strip all sweetness and light instead of the prelude to a visit to the chiropractor.
—Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2023
With its perfectly balanced sweetness and light carbonation, the Pink Bubbly provides a refreshing sip with every single can. 13.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 15 June 2023
The quads appeared often in newspapers and newsreels, represented as sources of sweetness and light at a time when Shirley Temple was at her most famous and little kids were working overtime in popular culture to distract Americans from the dire consequences of the Great Depression.
—Rebecca Onion, Washington Post, 14 June 2023
For rural liberals like me, Joe Biden’s win certainly didn’t usher in a new era of sweetness and light.
—Bill Donahue, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2021
Raising Corvettes for a living isn't all sweetness and light—just ask the Corvette development group.
—Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweetness and light.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of sweetness and light was
in 1869
Dictionary Entries Near sweetness and light
Cite this Entry
“Sweetness and light.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweetness%20and%20light. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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