sweet

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

Via Middle English swete, sweete, from Old English swēte.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /swiːt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːt
• Homophone: suite

Adjective

sweet (comparative sweeter, superlative sweetest)

1. Having a pleasant taste, especially one relating to the basic taste sensation induced by sugar.
2. Having a taste of sugar.
3. Containing a sweetening ingredient.
4. (wine) Retaining a portion of sugar.

   Sweet wines are better dessert wines.

5. Not having a salty taste.

   sweet butter

   sweet water

6. Having a pleasant smell.

   a sweet scent

7. Not decaying, fermented, rancid, sour, spoiled, or stale.

   sweet milk

8. Having a pleasant sound.

   a sweet tune

   a sweet voice

9. Having a pleasing disposition.

   a sweet child

10. Having a helpful disposition.

    It was sweet of him to help out.

11. Free from excessive unwanted substances like acid or sulphur.

    sweet soil

    sweet crude oil

12. (informal) Very good; pleasant; agreeable.

    The new Lexus was a sweet birthday gift.

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): 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): lame, uncool

Derived terms

Terms derived from the adjective "sweet"

bittersweet boiled sweet flower-sweet honey-sweet meadowsweet semisweet short and sweet sickeningly sweet sickly sweet/sickly-sweet sweet action sweet alison sweet almond sweet alyssum sweet and sour sweet as sweet as a nut sweet as pie sweet balm sweet basil sweet bay sweet bells sweet birch sweet bread sweetbread sweet-breasted sweetbriar

sweet calabash sweet cassava sweet cheeks sweet cherry sweet chocolate sweet cicely sweet cider sweet clover sweet coltsfoot sweet corn/sweet-corn/sweetcorn sweet cream sweet cup sweet dreams sweet elder sweeten sweetener sweet FA sweet fern sweet flag sweet four o'clock sweet gale sweet goldenrod sweet gras sweet gum tree

sweet hereafter sweet iron sweetish sweetkin sweet leaf sweet lemon sweet lime sweetly sweet marjoram sweet Mary sweetmeat sweet melon sweetness sweet nothings sweet oil sweet orange sweet pea sweet pepper sweet pickle sweet potato sweet rocket sweet roll sweetroot sweets sweet scabious

sweet science sweet shrub sweet sixteen Sweet Sixteen sweet-smelling sweet-sop sweet sorghum sweet spot sweet sultan sweet-talk sweet talker sweet tooth sweet unicorn plant sweet vermouth sweet vetch sweet violet sweet water sweet wattle sweet william/Sweet William sweet woodruff sweety sweet young thing unsweet winter sweet

Translations

having a pleasant taste

Afrikaans: soet Albanian: ëmbël (sq) Arabic: حلو (ar) (ḥulw) m. Egyptian Arabic: حلو (ḥelw) m. Armenian: քաղցր (hy) (k'aġc'r) Azeri: dadlı (az) Bashkir: татлы (tatlı) Basque: gozo Breton: dous Bulgarian: сладък (sladǎk) m. Catalan: dolç Chechen: мерза (merza) Chinese: Mandarin: 甜 (cmn) (tián) Chuvash: тутлӑ (tutlă), пылак (pılak) Croatian: sladak (hr) Czech: sladký (cs) Danish: sød (da) Dutch: zoet (nl) Esperanto: dolĉa (eo) Estonian: magus (et) Faroese: søtur (fo) Finnish: makea (fi) French: doux (fr) m. German: süß (de), lecker (de) Greek: γλυκός (el) (glykós) m. Hebrew: מתוק (matok) Hungarian: édes (hu) Icelandic: sætur (is) Indonesian: manis (id) Irish: milis (ga) Italian: dolce (it) Japanese: 甘い (ja) (amai) Kalmyk: әмтәхн (ämtähn) Karachay-Balkar: татлы (tatlı) Kazakh: тәтті (kk) (tätti) Khakas: тадылығ (tadılığ) Korean: 달콤하다 (dalkom-hada) Koryak: наллявʼӄин (naĺĺawqin), наллягӄин (naĺĺaɣqin) Kumyk: татли (tatli) Kurdish: Kurmanji: şirîn (ku) Sorani: شیرین (ku) (sheereen)

Kyrgyz: таттуу (tattuu) Latgalian: soldons m. Latin: dulcis (la), suāvis (la) Latvian: salds (lv) Lithuanian: saldus (lt) Luxembourgish: séiss (lb) Macedonian: сладок (mk) (sladok) Malayalam: മധുരം (madhuram) Mari: Eastern Mari: шере (šere) Western Mari: ширӹ (širı) Mongolian: амттай (amttaj) Norwegian: søt (no) Persian: شیرین (fa) (širin) Polish: słodki (pl) m. Portuguese: doce (pt) Romanian: dulce (ro) Russia Buryat: амтатай (amtataj) Russian: сладкий (ru) (sládkij) m. Scottish Gaelic: milis (gd), mealach (gd) Shor: таамнығ (taamnığ) Slovak: sladký (sk) Slovene: sladek (sl) Southern Altai: тату (tatu) Spanish: dulce (es) m. and f., rico (es) m., sabroso (es) m., gustoso (es) m. Swahili: tamu (sw), pipi (sw) Swedish: söt (sv) Tagalog: matamis (tl) Tajik: ширин (tg) (şirin) Tatar: tatlı (tt) Thai: หวาน (wăan) Turkish: tatlı (tr) Turkmen: datly (tk), süýji (tk) Tuvan: чигирзиг (çigirzig) Udmurt: ческыт (ćeskyt), коньыт (końyt) Ukrainian: солодкий  (uk) Uzbek: totli (uz), shirin (uz) Volapük: svidik (vo) Yakut: минньигэс (minńiges) Yucatec Maya: ch'ujuk

having a taste of sugar

Afrikaans: soet; soeterig Albanian: soet (sq) Armenian: քաղցր (hy) (k'aġc'r) Basque: gozoa (eu) Breton: dous, c'hwek Bulgarian: сладък (sladǎk) m., сладка (sladka) f., сладко (sladko) n. Catalan: dolç Chinese: Mandarin: 甜 (cmn) (tián) Czech: sladký (cs) m. Danish: sød (da) Dutch: zoet (nl) Esperanto: dolĉa (eo) Estonian: magus (et) Ewe: ŋaneŋane Faroese: søtur (fo) Finnish: makea (fi), imelä (fi), äitelä (fi), sokerinen (fi) French: sucré (fr) Georgian: ტკბილი (ka) (tkbili) German: süß (de) Greek: γλυκός (el) (glykós) Hebrew: please add this translation if you can Hindi: मीठा (hi) (mī.ṭhā) Hungarian: édes (hu) Icelandic: sætur (is) Irish: milis (ga) Italian: dolce (it), zuccheroso (it) Japanese: 甘い (ja) (amai)

Korean: 달다 (ko) (dalda) Kurdish: Kurmanji: şirîn (ku) Sorani: شیرین (ku) (sheereen) Latin: dulcis (la) Latvian: salds (lv) Lithuanian: saldus (lt) Maori: please add this translation if you can Mongolian: please add this translation if you can Norwegian: søt (no) Polish: słodki (pl) m. Portuguese: doce (pt) Romanian: dulce (ro) Russian: сладкий (ru) (sládkij) m. Sardinian: durke Scottish Gaelic: milis (gd), mealach (gd) Serbo-Croatian: please add this translation if you can Spanish: dulce (es) m. and f. Swahili: tamu (sw), pipi (sw) Swedish: söt (sv) Tagalog: matamis (tl), maasukal (tl) Thai: หวาน (wăan) Turkish: tatlı (tr) Vietnamese: ngọt (vi) Volapük: svidik (vo) Welsh: melys (cy) Yucatec Maya: ch'ujuk Persian: please add this translation if you can

containing a sweetening ingredient

Afrikaans: soet Armenian: քաղցր (hy) (k'aġc'r) Breton: dous Bulgarian: сладък (sladǎk) m., сладка (sladka) f., сладко (sladko) n. Catalan: dolç Czech: slazený (cs) Danish: sødet (da), sød (da) Dutch: zoet (nl) Finnish: makea (fi), makeutettu (fi) French: sucré (fr) German: zuckerhaltig (de), gezuckert (de) Greek: γλυκός (el) (glikós) m. Hebrew: מתוק (matok) Icelandic: sætur (is) Italian: dolcificato, (with sugar) zuccherato

Japanese: 甘い (ja) (amai) Korean: 달다 (ko) (dalda) Kurdish: Kurmanji: şirîn (ku), şirînkirî (ku) Sorani: شیرین (ku) (sheereen) Latvian: salds (lv) Norwegian: sukkertilsatt (no) Polish: słodzony m. Portuguese: doce (pt), adocicado (pt) Russian: сладкий (ru) (sládkij) m. Spanish: azucarado (es) m. Swahili: tamu (sw), pipi (sw) Swedish: söt (sv), sötad (sv) Tagalog: matamis (tl) Thai: หวาน (wăan)

of a wine: retaining a portion of sugar

Armenian: քաղցր (hy) (k'aġc'r) Breton: dous, c'hwek Bulgarian: сладък (sladǎk) m., сладка (sladka) f., сладко (sladko) n. Catalan: dolç Czech: sladký (cs) Danish: sød (da) Finnish: makea (fi) French: doux (fr) m. German: lieblich (de) Hebrew: מתוק (matok) Italian: dolce (it)

Japanese: 甘い (ja) (amai), 甘口 (ja) (amakuchi) Korean: 달콤하다 (dalkom-hada) Kurdish: şirîn (ku) Norwegian: søt (no) Polish: słodkie (pl) n. Russian: сладкий (ru) (sládkij) m. Spanish: dulce (es) m. and f. Swahili: pipi (sw) Swedish: söt (sv) Thai: หวาน (wăan)

not having a salty taste

Afrikaans: soet Armenian: քաղցրահամ (hy) (k'aġc'raham) Breton: dous, disall Czech: sladký (cs) Danish: usaltet (da), fersk (da) Dutch: zoet (nl) Finnish: makea (fi) French: doux (fr) m. Greek: ανάλατος (el) (analatos) m. Italian: (food) non salato, (water) dolce (it) Japanese: しょっぱくない (ja) (shoppakunai)

Korean: 삼삼하다 (samsam-hada) Kurdish: Kurmanji: şirîn (ku) Sorani: شیرین (ku) (sheereen) Norwegian: (butter) usaltet (no), (water) fersk (no) Polish: słodki (pl) m. Portuguese: doce (pt) Russian: пресный (ru) (pr'ésnyj) m. Spanish: dulce (es) m. and f. Swahili: peremende (sw), pipi (sw) Swedish: frisk (sv), färsk (sv), osaltad (sv), söt (sv) (about water)

having a pleasant smell

Armenian: անուշահոտ (hy) (anušahot) Breton: c'hwek Czech: voňavý (cs) Danish: sød (da), sødlig (da) Dutch: zoet (nl) Finnish: miellyttävä (fi), ihana (fi), suloinen (fi), hyväntuoksuinen (fi) Georgian: არომატული (ka) (aromatuli) German: wohlriechend (de), duftend (de), Duft- Greek: ευωδιαστός (el) (evodiastos) m. Italian: profumato (it), fragrante (it) Japanese: 芳しい (ja) (kaguwasī), 香しい (ja) (kaguwasī)

Korean: 향기롭다 (ko) (hyanggi-ropda) Norwegian: søtlig (no) Polish: słodki (pl) m. Portuguese: perfumado (pt), cheiroso (pt) m. Russian: душистый (ru) (dušictyj) Scottish Gaelic: blasda (gd), milis (gd) Spanish: dulce (es) m. and f., fragante (es) m. and f., oloroso (es) m. Swahili: tamu (sw), pipi (sw) Swedish: behaglig (sv), doftande (sv), härlig (sv), ljuvlig (sv), mild (sv), väldoftande (sv) Thai: หอม (hŏm)

not decaying, rancid, sour, spoiled, or stale

Breton: fresk Czech: čerstvý (cs) Danish: frisk (da) Finnish: raikas (fi) French: frais (fr) m. Italian: fresco (it) m., fresca (it) f. Japanese: 新鮮 (ja) (shinsen)

Korean: 신선하다 (ko) (sinseonhada) Norwegian: fersk (no) Spanish: fresco (es) m. Swahili: tamu (sw), pipi (sw) Swedish: frisk (sv), färsk (sv) Thai: สด (sòt)

having a pleasant sound

Armenian: քաղցրահնչյուն (hy) (k'aġc'rahnčyun) Breton: heson Catalan: dolç Czech: melodický (cs) Danish: melodisk (da), behagelig (da) Finnish: ihana (fi), miellyttävä (fi), pehmeä (fi) French: doux (fr) m., mélodieux (fr) m. Greek: γλυκόηχος (glykóechos) m. Irish: binn (ga) Italian: intonato (it), melodioso (it) Japanese: 心地よい (ja) (kokochi-yoi) Korean: 감미롭다 (甘味-, gammi-ropda)

Kurdish: Kurmanji: şirîn (ku) Sorani: شیرین (ku) (sheereen) Norwegian: vakker (no) Polish: słodki (pl) m., melodyjny (pl) m. Russian: сладкозвучный (ru) (sladkozvúčnyj) m., мелодичный (ru) (m'elodíčnyj) m. Scottish Gaelic: binn (gd), grinn (gd) Spanish: dulce (es) m. and f., melodioso (es) m. Swahili: pipi (sw) Swedish: ljuv (sv), melodisk (sv), vacker (sv), välljudande (sv) Thai: หวาน (wăan)

having a pleasing disposition

Afrikaans: lieflik Armenian: դուրեկան (hy) (durekan) Catalan: dolç Czech: milý (cs), příjemný (cs) Danish: sød (da), blid (da) Dutch: lief (nl), vriendelijk (nl), schattig (nl) Finnish: herttainen (fi), suloinen (fi), mukava (fi) French: sympathique (fr) m. and f., sympa (fr) m. and f., doux (fr) m. German: süß (de), herzig (de), lieblich (de) Greek: πράος (praos) m., μειλίχιος (milikhios) m. Hebrew: מתוק (matok) Italian: simpatico (it) m., dolce (it) m. and f., carino (it) m. Japanese: 可愛い (ja) (kawaī)

Korean: 마음좋다 (maum-johda) Kurdish: xwînşirîn (ku), şirîn (ku) Latin: suāvis (la) m. and f. Norwegian: snill (no), vennlig (no) Polish: miły (pl) m., uroczy (pl) m. Russian: милый (ru) (mílyj) m. Scottish Gaelic: grinn (gd), milis (gd) Spanish: agradable (es) m. and f., bello (es) m., dulce (es) m. and f., encantador (es) m., hermoso (es) m., lindo (es) m., mono (es) m. Swahili: pipi (sw) Swedish: behaglig (sv), intagande (sv), ljuv (sv), gullig (sv), näpen (sv), söt (sv), älsklig (sv), älskvärd (sv) Thai: หวาน (wăan)

having a helpful disposition

Afrikaans: hulpwardig Armenian: դուրեկան (hy) (durekan) Czech: milý (cs), ochotný (cs) Danish: venlig (da) Dutch: lief, schattig Finnish: ystävällinen (fi), auttavainen (fi), herttainen (fi) French: charmant (fr) m., gentil (fr) m. German: nett (de) Hebrew: מתוק (matok) Italian: dolce (it) m. and f., gentile (it) m. and f., carino (it) m., amabile (it)

Japanese: 親切 (ja) (shinsetsu), 都合のよい (ja) (tsugō no yoi) Korean: 마음좋다 (maum-johda) Kurdish: destxweş (ku) Norwegian: hjelpsom (no), vennlig (no) Polish: miły (pl) m., uroczy (pl) m. Russian: милый (ru) (mílyj) m. Scottish Gaelic: grinn (gd), milis (gd) Spanish: amable (es) m. and f., benigno (es) m., tierno (es) m. Swahili: pipi (sw) Swedish: hjälpsam (sv), rar (sv), vänlig (sv), omtänksam (sv)

free from excessive unwanted substances

Danish: ren (da) Finnish: puhdas (fi) Italian: puro (it), genuino (it) Japanese: 雑味のない (ja) (zatsumi no nai)

Korean: 알맞다 (almajda, -mat-) Norwegian: ren (no) Swahili: pipi (sw) Swedish: frisk (sv), ren (sv), söt (sv)

colloquial, very good

Finnish: makea (fi), makee (fi), siisti (fi) French: génial (fr)

Japanese: 素晴らしい (ja) (subarashī) Swahili: pipi (sw)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Arabic: حلو (ħélu) Bulgarian: сладък (sladǎk) m., сладка (sladka) f., сладко (sladko) n. Mandarin: 甜 (tián) French: suave (fr) m. and f. German: süß (1,2) Korean: 단 (dan), 깨끗하다 (ko) (kkaekkeuthada), 기분이 좋다 (ko) (gibuni jota), 맛있다 (ko) (masitda) Indonesian: manis (1,2) Italian: gradevole, piacevole (it), Latin: dulcis (la) Lithuanian: saldus m. (1); dailus m. (2); mielas m. (3)

Persian: شیرین (shirin) (1), ناز (nāz) (2) Portuguese: atraente (pt) Romanian: dulce Spanish: chachi (es) Telugu: తీపి (teepi), తియ్యని (tiyyani), ముద్దొచ్చే (muddocchae) Tetum: midar Turkish nazik (tr), yumuşak (tr), tatlı (tr), şekerli (tr) Thai: หวาน (wăan) Welsh: melys (1)

Adverb

sweet (comparative more sweet, superlative most sweet)

1. In a sweet manner.

Usage notes

• Also used as a positive response to good news or information: They're making a sequel? Ah, sweet!

Synonyms

• (in a sweet manner): sweetly

Translations

in a sweet manner

Catalan: dolçament Danish: sødt (da), let (da) Finnish: ihanasti, pehmeästi, hellästi French: doucement (fr) Hebrew: במתיקות (bimtikoot) Italian: dolcemente (it)

Japanese: 快く (ja) (kokoroyoku) Polish: słodko (pl) Spanish: dulcemente (es) Swahili: pipi (sw) Swedish: ljuvligt (sv), härligt (sv), sött (sv), underbart (sv), vackert (sv)

Noun

sweet (countable and uncountable; plural sweets)

1. (uncountable) The basic taste sensation induced by sugar.
2. (countable, UK) A confection made from sugar, or high in sugar content; a candy.
3. (countable, UK) A food eaten for dessert.

   Can we see the sweet menu, please?

4. sweetheart

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

Derived terms

• sweet shop
• sweetshop

Translations

basic taste sensation induced by sugar — see sweetness

sugary confection

Catalan: dolç, llaminadura Chinese: Mandarin: 糖果 (cmn) (tángguǒ) Min Nan: 糖仔餅 (thn̂g-á-piáⁿ) Czech: sladkost (cs) f. Danish: konfekt (da), bolsje (da), slik (da) Dutch: snoep (nl) m. and n., snoepje (nl) n. Esperanto: sekeraĵo (eo) Finnish: makeinen (fi), karamelli (fi), karkki (fi), namu (fi) French: friandise (fr) f., bonbon (fr) m., sucreries (fr) f. Polish Georgian: კამფეტი (ka) (kampeti) German: Süßigkeit (de) f. Hebrew: מתוק (matok) Hungarian: édesség (hu) Irish: milseán (ga)

Italian: dolcetto (it) m., caramella (it) m. Japanese: 糖菓 (ja) (tōka) Kurdish: شیرین (ku) Luxembourgish: Kamell (lb) f., Zockerboun (lb) f. Polish: cukierek (pl) m., słodycze (pl) Portuguese: doce (pt) m. Russian: конфета (ru) (konf'éta) f., леденец (ru) (l'ed'en'éc) m., сласть (ru) (slast') f., сладость (ru) (sládost') f. Scottish Gaelic: suiteas (gd) m., mìlsean (gd) m. Spanish: dulce (es) m., caramelo (es) m., chuche (es) Swahili: tamu (sw), pipi (sw) Swedish: karamell (sv) c., godsak (sv) c., godis (sv) n., snask (sv) n., sötsak (sv) c. Tagalog: matatamis (tl) Telugu: మిఠాయి (miThaayi)

food eaten for dessert — see dessert

sweetheart

Czech: miláček (cs) m. Finnish: kultanen (fi), rakas (fi), sydänkäpy (fi) Hungarian: édes (hu) Japanese: (informal recent term for a male) カレシ (ja) (kareshi); (informal recent term for a female) カノジョ (ja) (kanojo); (general, but getting an old term) 恋人 (ja) (koibito)

Polish: kochanie (pl) n. Swahili: tamu (sw), pipi (sw)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Bulgarian: сладко (sladko) n. Indonesian: manisan, permen Persian: هله‌هوله (hale-hule) Romanian: dulce n. Turkish: akide şekeri (tr), şekerleme (tr)

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: wrote · chief · company · #605: sweet · duty · heavy · single

Anagrams

• weest
• weets