Sweet
Pronunciation
- IPA: /swiËt/
- Rhymes: -iËt
- Homophones: suite
Origin
Via Middle English swete, sweete, from Old English swÄ“te, from Proto-Germanic *swÅtuz, from Proto-Indo-European *swehâ‚‚d-. Compare West Frisian swiet, Low German sööt, Dutch zoet, German süß, Danish sød.
Full definition of sweet
Adjective
sweet
- Having a pleasant taste, especially one relating to the basic taste sensation induced by sugar.a sweet apple
- Having a taste of sugar.
- Containing a sweetening ingredient.
- (wine) Retaining a portion of sugar.Sweet wines are better dessert wines.
- Not having a salty taste.sweet butter
- 1821, Robert Thomas, The modern practice of physicNothing has been found so effectual for preserving water sweet at sea, during long voyages, as charring the insides of the casks well before they are filled.
- Having a pleasant smell.a sweet scent
- LongfellowThe breath of these flowers is sweet to me.
- Not decaying, fermented, rancid, sour, spoiled, or stale.sweet milk
- Having a pleasant sound.a sweet tune
- Nathaniel Hawthornea voice sweet, tremulous, but powerful
- Having a pleasing disposition.a sweet child
- Having a helpful disposition.It was sweet of him to help out.
- (mineralogy) Free from excessive unwanted substances like acid or sulphur.sweet soilsweet crude oil
- (informal) Very pleasing; agreeable.The new Lexus was a sweet birthday gift.
- (informal, followed by on) Romantically fixated, enamored (followed by with), fond (followed by of).The attraction was mutual and instant; they were sweet on one another from first sight.
- (obsolete) Fresh; not salt or brackish.sweet water
- Pleasing to the eye; beautiful; mild and attractive; fair.a sweet face; a sweet colour or complexion
- MiltonSweet interchange
Of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains.
Synonyms
- (having a taste of sugar) saccharine, sugary
- (containing a sweetening ingredient) sugared, sweetened
- (not having a salty taste) fresh, unsalty
- (having a pleasant smell) fragrant, odoriferous, odorous, perfumed, scented, sweet-scented, sweet-smelling
- (not decaying, fermented, rancid, sour, spoiled, or stale) fresh, unfermented, wholesome
- (having a pleasant sound) dulcet, honeyed, mellifluous, mellisonant
- (having a pleasing disposition) cute, lovable, pleasant
- (having a helpful disposition) kind, gracious, helpful, sensitive, thoughtful
- ((informal) very pleasing) rad, awesome, wicked
Antonyms
- (having a pleasant taste) bitter, sour, salty
- (containing a sweetening ingredient) nonsweet, sugarless, unsugared, unsweetened
- (of wines: retaining a portion of natural sugar) dry
- (not decaying, fermented, rancid, sour, spoiled, or stale) decaying, fermented, rancid, sour, spoiled, stale
- (not having a salty taste) salty, savoury
- (free from excessive unwanted substances) sour
- ((informal) very pleasing) lame, uncool
Derived terms
Usage notes
Also used as a positive response to good news or information: They're making a sequel? Ah, sweet!
Adverb
sweet
- In a sweet manner.
Synonyms
- (in a sweet manner) sweetly
Noun
sweet
(countable and uncountable; plural sweets)- (uncountable) The basic taste sensation induced by sugar.
- (countable, British) A confection made from sugar, or high in sugar content; a candy.
- (countable, British) A food eaten for dessert.Can we see the sweet menu, please?
- sweetheart; darling
- Ben JonsonWherefore frowns my sweet?
- (obsolete) That which is sweet or pleasant in odour; a perfume.
- Miltona wilderness of sweets
- (obsolete) That which is pleasing or welcome to the mind.the sweets of domestic life
Synonyms
- (sweet taste sensation) See sweetness
- (food that is high in sugar content) bonbon, candy US, confection, confectionery, lolly Australia
- (food eaten for dessert) See dessert