sweet
sweet
Pronunciation
sweet:
/s/ - voiceless alveolar sibilant
/w/ - voiced labial-velar approximant
/iː/ - close front unrounded vowel (long 'ee' sound)
/t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive
Word Form Variations
Adjective: sweet (base form), sweeter (comparative), sweetest (superlative)
Noun: sweet (singular), sweets (plural)
Verb: sweet (rare, archaic, or poetic use, as in "to sweeten"), sweets (third-person singular simple present), sweeting (present participle), sweeted (past tense, past participle)
Adverb: sweetly
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Definition 1: Having a taste characteristic of sugar or honey; not sour, bitter, or salty.
Synonyms: sugary, honeyed, luscious, delicious
Antonyms: sour, bitter, tart, salty
Definition 2: Pleasing or agreeable to the senses or the mind; delightful.
Synonyms: delightful, pleasant, charming, lovely, melodious (for sound), fragrant (for smell)
Antonyms: unpleasant, disagreeable, harsh, cacophonous, foul
Definition 3: (Of a person or disposition) Kind, gentle, and amiable.
Synonyms: kind, gentle, amiable, good-natured, considerate
Antonyms: unkind, harsh, mean, disagreeable, rude
Definition 4: (Of air or water) Fresh, pure, or unpolluted.
Synonyms: fresh, pure, clean, wholesome
Antonyms: stale, foul, polluted, contaminated
Definition 5: (Informal) Used as an expression of satisfaction or approval.
Synonyms: excellent, great, cool, awesome
Antonyms: bad, poor, terrible, disappointing
Noun
Definition 1: A small piece of confectionery or candy, typically made with sugar.
Synonyms: candy, confection, dessert, bonbon
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it refers to a specific type of food)
Definition 2: (British English) A dessert course served at the end of a meal.
Synonyms: dessert, pudding, afters (informal)
Antonyms: appetizer, starter, main course
Definition 3: (Plural, often "sweets") A state of satisfaction or pleasure.
Synonyms: delights, pleasures, joys, treats
Antonyms: sorrows, disappointments, miseries, hardships
Definition 4: (Archaic or poetic) A loved one or darling.
Synonyms: darling, dear, beloved, sweetheart
Antonyms: enemy, adversary
Verb
Definition 1: (Transitive, rare/poetic) To make sweet; to sweeten.
Synonyms: sweeten, flavor, sugar
Antonyms: sour, bitter, taint
Adverb
Definition 1: In a sweet manner; sweetly.
Synonyms: sweetly, deliciously, pleasingly, gently, melodiously
Antonyms: bitterly, sourly, harshly, unpleasantly
Examples of Use
Books:
"He had a sweet smile that could melt glaciers." (From The Giver by Lois Lowry)
"The air in the orchard was sweet with the scent of apple blossoms." (From Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery)
Newspapers:
"Local baker wins award for her sweet potato pie." (The Daily Chronicle)
"The victory was especially sweet for the underdog team." (Sports Section)
Online Publications:
"10 Sweet Treats to Make This Summer" (Delish.com,)
"Why the latest software update is a sweet deal for users." (TechCrunch.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Music: "Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good." (From the song "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond)
Film: "How sweet it is!" (Often used as a catchphrase by Jackie Gleason in various performances)
Television: "That's a sweet ride you've got there." (From a car-themed reality TV show, Pimp My Ride)
Video Games: "Collecting all the hidden items gives you a sweet bonus." (In-game text from a popular platformer, Super Mario Odyssey)
Social Media: "Just adopted the sweetest puppy! #dogsofinstagram" (Instagram post, April 2025)
General Public Discourse:
"Can you hand me the sweet tea?" (Common request in the Southern United States)
"She's such a sweet person, always helping others." (Everyday conversation)
"That's a pretty sweet setup for your home office." (Informal conversation among friends)
"Don't worry, everything will be sweet." (Used to reassure someone, implying things will be fine)
10 Quotes Using Sweet
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." (William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet)
"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet." (Aristotle)
"Parting is such sweet sorrow." (William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet)
"Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music." (Ronald Reagan)
"Love me tender, love me sweet." (Elvis Presley, "Love Me Tender")
"How sweet it is!" (Jackie Gleason)
"Success is sweet and sweeter if long delayed and gotten through many struggles and defeats." (Amos Bronson Alcott)
"If there were no night, we would not appreciate the day, nor could we see the stars and the vastness of the heavens. We must partake of the bitter with the sweet." (James E. Faust)
"You're still the one I run to, the one that I belong to. You're still the one I want for life." (Shania Twain, "You're Still the One") [Note: While the song uses "still the one," the overall sentiment and context often evoke a sweet and enduring love, aligning with the spirit of the request for 'sweet' quotes, though it doesn't directly use the word itself.]
"Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness." (Iain Thomas, I Wrote This for You)
Etymology
The word "sweet" has a very old and interesting history! It can be traced all the way back to an ancient language family called Proto-Indo-European, with a root sound like "*swād-", meaning "sweet" or "pleasant."
From there, it traveled into Proto-Germanic (the ancestor of English, German, and other Germanic languages) as something like "*swōtuz".
The first known use in English comes from Old English (before 1150 AD) as the word "swēte." At that time, its main meaning was "pleasing to the senses, mind, or feelings." So, it didn't just mean a sugary taste, but also things that smelled good, sounded nice, or generally felt pleasant. For example, "sweet air" could mean fresh air, and a "sweet song" meant a melodious one. It could also describe someone with a "sweet disposition," meaning they were kind and amiable.
Over time, while these broader meanings stuck around, "sweet" became especially known for referring to the taste we associate with sugar and honey.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Sweet
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using the word "sweet":
Sweet dreams: A common farewell, wishing someone pleasant sleep.
Sweet sixteen: A celebration of a girl's sixteenth birthday, often marked as a significant coming-of-age.
Sweet talk: To use charming or flattering language, often to persuade someone.
Sweet tooth: A strong liking or craving for sweet foods.
Sweet nothing(s): Soft, sentimental, or flattering words whispered to a lover.
To be sweet on (someone): To have a crush on someone or be romantically interested in them.
Sweet deal: An excellent or very favorable arrangement or offer.
Sweet nothings: Affectionate whispers, often insincere.
How sweet it is! An exclamation of pleasure or satisfaction at a fortunate outcome.
Sweet victory: A very satisfying or gratifying win, especially after a struggle.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of sweet from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
