sweet
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- sugary, cloying, saccharine
- charming, agreeable, appealing, cute, delightful, engaging, kind, likable or likeable, lovable, winning
- melodious, dulcet, harmonious, mellow, musical
- fragrant, aromatic, clean, fresh, pure
[noun]
Synonyms:
- usually plural: confectionery, bonbon, candy (U.S.)
- dessert, pudding

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Antonyms: bitter, malodorous
Contrasted words: disagreeable, unpleasant, displeasing, obnoxious, repulsive, funky, fusty, musty, noisome, putrid, rancid, rotten, stale, stinking, strong, whiffy, fetid, foul, olid, rank, smelly
Related Words: agreeable, pleasant, pleasing, beautiful, fair, lovely, delectable, delicious, delightful, luscious, angelic, heavenly, clean, fresh, sweetish

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English Thesaurus: delicious, disgusting/revolting, sweet, tasty, sour/tart, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. sweet¹ S2 W3 /swiːt/ adjective (comparative sweeter, superlative sweetest)
[Word Family: noun: sweet, sweetener, sweetness, sweetie; verb: sweeten; adverb: sweetly; adjective: sweet]
[Language: Old English; Origin: swete]

1. TASTE containing or having a taste like sugar ⇒ sour, bitter, dry:
This tea is too sweet.
sweet juicy peaches
sweet wine

2. CHARACTER kind, gentle, and friendly:
a sweet smile
How sweet of you to remember my birthday! ⇒ sweet-tempered

3. CHILDREN/SMALL THINGS especially British English looking pretty and attractive Synonym : cute:
Your little boy looks very sweet in his new coat.

4. THOUGHTS/EMOTIONS making you feel pleased, happy, and satisfied:
Revenge is sweet.
the sweet smell of success
the sweet taste of victory
Goodnight, Becky. Sweet dreams.

5. SMELLS having a pleasant smell Synonym : fragrant:
sweet-smelling flowers
the sickly sweet (=unpleasantly sweet) smell of rotting fruit

6. SOUNDS pleasant to listen to Antonym : harsh:
She has a very sweet singing voice.

7. have a sweet tooth to like things that taste of sugar

8. WATER/AIR if you describe water or air as sweet, you mean that it is fresh and clean Antonym : stale:
She hurried to the door and took great gulps of the sweet air.

9. keep somebody sweet informal to behave in a pleasant friendly way towards someone, because you want them to help you later:
I’m trying to keep Mum sweet so that she’ll lend me the car.

10. in your own sweet way/time if you do something in your own sweet way or time, you do it in exactly the way that you want to or when you want to, without considering what other people say or think:
You can’t just go on in your own sweet way; we have to do this together.

11. a sweet deal American English a business or financial deal in which you get an advantage, pay a low price etc:
I got a sweet deal on the car.

12. sweet FA (also sweet Fanny Adams) British English informal nothing at all – used when someone wants to avoid saying a swear word directly:
‘How much did they pay you for that job?’ ‘Sweet FA!’

13. sweet nothings things that lovers say to each other:
a couple whispering sweet nothings to each other

14. be sweet on somebody old-fashioned to be very attracted to or in love with someone

15. sweet! spoken informal used to say that you think that something is very good:
‘I got four tickets to the concert.’ ‘Sweet!’
—sweetly adverb
⇒ home sweet home at home¹(13), ⇒ short and sweet at short¹(1), ⇒ sweetness

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. sweet² S2 noun
[Word Family: noun: sweet, sweetener, sweetness, sweetie; verb: sweeten; adverb: sweetly; adjective: sweet]

1. [countable] British English a small piece of sweet food made of sugar or chocolate Synonym : candy American English:
Eating sweets is bad for your teeth.
a sweet shop
a packet of boiled sweets (=hard sweets that taste of fruit)

2. [uncountable and countable] British English sweet food served after the meat and vegetables part of a meal Synonym : dessert:
Would you like a sweet, or some cheese and biscuits?

3. (my) sweet old-fashioned used when speaking to someone you love:
Don’t cry, my sweet.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

sweet
adj.
I. tasting like sugar/smelling pleasant
VERBS be, smell, taste The air smelled sweet and clean.
make sth | find sth I found the dessert a bit sweet for my taste.
ADV. extremely, very | a bit, quite, rather, slightly | enough Is the tea sweet enough for you?
sickly an overpowering, sickly sweet smell

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

sweet
II. nice
VERBS be, look | keep sb (informal) He'd promised her a new car, just to keep her sweet (= keep her in a good mood).
ADV. awfully, really, terribly, very | quite, rather
PREP. to She was really sweet to me.
PHRASES sweet little a rather sweet little cottage

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

sweet
noun
ADJ. chewy, sugary | boiled
QUANT. bag, box, packet, tube
VERB + SWEET eat, suck sucking a boiled sweet
SWEET + NOUN shop

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

delicious having a very good taste:
This cake is delicious!
a delicious meal
disgusting/revolting having a very bad taste:
The medicine tasted disgusting.
They had to eat revolting things, like fish eyes.
sweet tasting full of sugar:
The oranges were very sweet.
tasty especially spoken tasting good and with plenty of flavour:
She cooked us a simple but tasty meal.
That was really tasty!
sour/tart having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does – used especially when this is rather unpleasant:
The apples were a little sour.
The wine has rather a tart taste, which not everyone will like.
tangy having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does, in a way that seems good:
The dressing was nice and tangy.
bitter having a strong taste which is not sweet and is sometimes rather unpleasant – used for example about black coffee, or chocolate without sugar:
bitter chocolate
The medicine had rather a bitter taste.
Hops give beer its distinctive bitter taste.
salty containing a lot of salt:
Danish salami has a salty flavour.
hot/spicy having a burning taste because it contains strong spices:
I love hot curries.
a spicy tomato sauce
piquant /ˈpiːkənt/ formal a little spicy – used especially by people who write about food. This word can sound rather pretentious in everyday conversation:
cooked vegetables in a piquant sauce
mild not having a strong or hot taste – usually used about foods that can sometimes be spicy:
a mild curry
bland not having an interesting taste:
I found the sauce rather bland.
sharp having a taste that makes your tongue sting slightly:
Rhubarb has quite a sharp taste.
The cheese has a pleasing colour and a pleasantly sharp flavour.
sour having a usually unpleasant sharp acid taste, like the taste of a lemon, or a fruit that is not ready to be eaten – used especially about fruit, or about liquids that have gone bad:
Some people say that the purpose of the lemon’s sour taste is to stop the fruit being eaten by animals.
Rachel sampled the wine. It was sour.
acidic very sour – used especially about liquids or things made with fruits such as oranges, lemons, or grapes:
Some fruit juices taste a bit acidic.
tart having a taste that lacks sweetness – used especially about fruit such as apples, which you need to add sugar to:
The pudding had rather a tart flavour.
The trees were covered with tart wild plums.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

delicious having a very good taste:
This cake is delicious!
a delicious meal
disgusting/revolting having a very bad taste:
The medicine tasted disgusting.
They had to eat revolting things, like fish eyes.
sweet tasting full of sugar:
The oranges were very sweet.
tasty especially spoken tasting good and with plenty of flavour:
She cooked us a simple but tasty meal.
That was really tasty!
sour/tart having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does – used especially when this is rather unpleasant:
The apples were a little sour.
The wine has rather a tart taste, which not everyone will like.
tangy having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does, in a way that seems good:
The dressing was nice and tangy.
bitter having a strong taste which is not sweet and is sometimes rather unpleasant – used for example about black coffee, or chocolate without sugar:
bitter chocolate
The medicine had rather a bitter taste.
Hops give beer its distinctive bitter taste.
salty containing a lot of salt:
Danish salami has a salty flavour.
hot/spicy having a burning taste because it contains strong spices:
I love hot curries.
a spicy tomato sauce
piquant /ˈpiːkənt/ formal a little spicy – used especially by people who write about food. This word can sound rather pretentious in everyday conversation:
cooked vegetables in a piquant sauce
mild not having a strong or hot taste – usually used about foods that can sometimes be spicy:
a mild curry
bland not having an interesting taste:
I found the sauce rather bland.
taste good/nice/delicious/great
The apples weren’t very big but they tasted good.
taste horrible/awful/disgusting/foul
The tea tasted horrible.
taste funny/odd/strange
These fruit drinks taste a bit funny until you get used to them.
taste sweet/bitter/sour/salty
He handed me some black stuff which tasted bitter.
taste strongly of something
The water tasted strongly of chlorine.
sweet-tasting/strong-tasting etc
a sweet-tasting drink

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

hot used especially when you feel uncomfortable:
I feel really hot.
The travellers were hot, tired, and thirsty.
warm a little hot, especially in a way that feels comfortable:
Are you warm enough?
We had to keep moving in order to keep warm.
boiling (hot) spoken very hot:
You must be boiling in that sweater!
‘I’m going for a swim,' said Gary. ’I’m boiling.'
I felt boiling hot and tried to open one of the windows.
feverish feeling very hot because you are ill:
His head ached and he felt feverish.
Hannah was slightly feverish, so we decided to call the doctor.
baking (hot) British English very hot and dry:
a baking hot afternoon
The weather was baking hot and conditions at the camp became unbearable.
It’s baking out there in the garden – I need a drink.
scorching (hot) very hot:
It was another scorching hot July day.
When we got there, the weather was scorching.
Arizona is scorching hot every day.
humid/muggy hot and damp:
This week sees a return to more humid conditions.
Hong Kong gets very humid at this time of year.
In June the weather was often muggy in the evenings.
It was a warm muggy afternoon, and it looked like it would rain.
like an oven much too hot in a way that is uncomfortable – used about rooms and buildings:
The inside of the shed was like an oven.
lukewarm /ˌluːkˈwɔːm◂ $ -ˈwɔːrm◂/ slightly warm, but not hot enough – used about liquids:
a cup of lukewarm coffee
The bath water was lukewarm.
delicious having a very good taste:
This cake is delicious!
a delicious meal
disgusting/revolting having a very bad taste:
The medicine tasted disgusting.
They had to eat revolting things, like fish eyes.
sweet tasting full of sugar:
The oranges were very sweet.
tasty especially spoken tasting good and with plenty of flavour:
She cooked us a simple but tasty meal.
That was really tasty!
sour/tart having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does – used especially when this is rather unpleasant:
The apples were a little sour.
The wine has rather a tart taste, which not everyone will like.
tangy having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does, in a way that seems good:
The dressing was nice and tangy.
bitter having a strong taste which is not sweet and is sometimes rather unpleasant – used for example about black coffee, or chocolate without sugar:
bitter chocolate
The medicine had rather a bitter taste.
Hops give beer its distinctive bitter taste.
salty containing a lot of salt:
Danish salami has a salty flavour.
hot/spicy having a burning taste because it contains strong spices:
I love hot curries.
a spicy tomato sauce
piquant /ˈpiːkənt/ formal a little spicy – used especially by people who write about food. This word can sound rather pretentious in everyday conversation:
cooked vegetables in a piquant sauce
mild not having a strong or hot taste – usually used about foods that can sometimes be spicy:
a mild curry
bland not having an interesting taste:
I found the sauce rather bland.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

kind someone who is kind tries to help people and make them happy or comfortable, and shows that they care about them:
They were very kind to us and let us stay in their house as long as we liked.
a kind old lady
a kind thing to say
nice especially spoken friendly and kind. Nice is very common in everyday spoken English and is often used instead of kind:
Everyone has been so nice to me.
It’s nice of you to invite me here.
He seems such a nice man.
generous kind because you give people money, presents etc:
‘I’ll pay for the meal.’ ‘That’s very generous of you.’
a generous gift
considerate thinking about other people’s feelings, and careful not to do anything that will upset them:
Our neighbours are very considerate and always keep their TV turned down.
a considerate driver
He’s always very polite and considerate to his guests.
thoughtful thinking of things you can do to make other people happy or feel good – used especially when someone does something such as giving someone a present or helping someone:
It was thoughtful of you to send him a card.
Some thoughtful person had taken her bag to the lost property office.
caring kind and wanting to help and look after people:
She’s lucky to have such a loving and caring husband.
The British are well-known for their caring attitude toward animals.
sympathetic saying kind things to someone who has problems and behaving in a way that shows you care about them:
My boss was very sympathetic and said I should take some time off work.
She gave him a sympathetic smile.
good kind and showing that you want to help – used especially in the following phrases:
It was good of you to come and see me.
She’s always been very good to us.
sweet informal very kind – used especially when you like someone very much, or you are very pleased because of something they have done:
I was given the flowers by a sweet little old lady who lived next door.
It’s sweet of you to ask.
a sweet thing to say
kind-hearted/warm-hearted especially written having a kind and friendly character, which makes other people like you:
He was a wonderful father, kind-hearted and always laughing.
The town is full of warm-hearted, helpful people.
benevolent formal kind and wanting to help people – often used about someone who is important or who people respect:
a benevolent ruler
They believe in the existence of a benevolent God who will save mankind.
He listened politely, like some benevolent uncle.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

nice especially spoken friendly, kind, or polite. In written and formal English, it is better to use a more specific and interesting adjective than nice:
I like Clare – she’s really nice.
It was nice of them to offer to help.
pleasant friendly, polite, and easy to talk to – used especially about someone that you do not know very well:
I only met her once or twice but she seemed pleasant.
sweet very kind and gentle:
Kylie’s a very caring, sweet person.
It was sweet of you to send me a card.
charming behaving in a polite and friendly way, which makes people like you and want to do things for you:
The salesman was very charming.
a charming hostess
engaging interesting or amusing in a way that makes people like you – a rather formal word:
She can be very engaging.
an engaging smile
likeable easy to like and seeming nice and friendly:
Bobby was a likeable kid with an angelic face.
good-natured having a nice kind character and not getting angry easily:
Everyone likes Mike because he’s always so good-natured.
great informal used about someone who you like and admire a lot:
He’s a great guy!
Sue’s boyfriend is really great.
lovely especially British English informal very nice, kind, and friendly:
All the people I met on the course were lovely.
a lovely man
fun informal if something is fun, you enjoy it:
The holiday was great fun.
enjoyable giving you pleasure:
We had a very enjoyable evening.
wonderful very enjoyable:
It was a wonderful concert.
The food was wonderful.
delightful formal very pleasant or enjoyable:
There are many delightful walks in the area.
a delightful evening
pleasurable formal a pleasurable experience or feeling is one that you enjoy:
Shopping in the old city can be a pleasurable experience.
a pleasurable feeling of relief

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

sweet sweet food or drink has had sugar added or contains natural sugars:
Italian oranges are very sweet.
a cup of hot sweet tea
sugary sweet because a lot of sugar has been added:
Sugary foods are bad for your teeth.
sickly British English tasting unpleasantly sweet:
The dessert was rather sweet and sickly.
a sickly sweet fruit drink
cloying tasting or smelling unpleasantly sweet:
I find strawberry and peach drinks too cloying.
the cloying smell of fish oil
delicious having a very good taste:
This cake is delicious!
a delicious meal
disgusting/revolting having a very bad taste:
The medicine tasted disgusting.
They had to eat revolting things, like fish eyes.
tasty especially spoken tasting good and with plenty of flavour:
She cooked us a simple but tasty meal.
That was really tasty!
sour/tart having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does – used especially when this is rather unpleasant:
The apples were a little sour.
The wine has rather a tart taste, which not everyone will like.
tangy having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does, in a way that seems good:
The dressing was nice and tangy.
bitter having a strong taste which is not sweet and is sometimes rather unpleasant – used for example about black coffee, or chocolate without sugar:
bitter chocolate
The medicine had rather a bitter taste.
Hops give beer its distinctive bitter taste.
salty containing a lot of salt:
Danish salami has a salty flavour.
hot/spicy having a burning taste because it contains strong spices:
I love hot curries.
a spicy tomato sauce
piquant /ˈpiːkənt/ formal a little spicy – used especially by people who write about food. This word can sound rather pretentious in everyday conversation:
cooked vegetables in a piquant sauce
mild not having a strong or hot taste – usually used about foods that can sometimes be spicy:
a mild curry
bland not having an interesting taste:
I found the sauce rather bland.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

type/kind/sort one member of a group of people or things that have similar features or qualities. Type is the usual word to use in scientific or technical contexts. In everyday English, people usually use kind or sort:
What type of fish is this?
There are two main personality types.
kind a type of person or thing. Kind is less formal than type, and is used especially in everyday English:
What kind of food do you like?
There were all kinds of people there.
The study is the first of its kind in Ireland.
sort especially British English a type of person or thing. Sort is less formal than type, and is used especially in everyday British English:
What sort of person is she?
I like all sorts of music.
form one type of something from all the ones that are possible – used especially when things have different physical characteristics, or in certain fixed phrases:
There are many forms of heart disease.
Melanoma is a form of skin cancer.
The first primitive life forms consumed various materials, including hydrogen sulfide, and released oxygen.
In those days, horses were the commonest form of transport.
We need to use alternative forms of energy.
a popular form of entertainment
variety a type that is slightly different from others in the same group:
The French make many varieties of cheese.
This is a new variety of apple.
species a type of plant or animal, which can breed together to produce plants or animals of the same type:
These forests contain many species of trees.
The giant panda is an endangered species.
of a ... nature formal used when talking about a particular type of thing:
Many people find it embarrassing to discuss problems of a sexual nature.
Minor incidents of this nature normally occur about once a month.
category a group of people or things that are all of the same type – used when there is a clear system for deciding which group something belongs to:
The three major categories of rock are: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.
She won the best actress category at the Oscars.
brand used when talking about the particular way that someone does something or thinks about something, when this is very different from that of other people:
She has her own special brand of humour.
He has called for a more positive brand of politics.
genre formal a type of art, music, literature etc. that has a particular style or feature:
He has written novels in several genres, most notably science fiction.
nice especially spoken friendly and kind. Nice is very common in everyday spoken English and is often used instead of kind:
Everyone has been so nice to me.
It’s nice of you to invite me here.
He seems such a nice man.
generous kind because you give people money, presents etc:
‘I’ll pay for the meal.’ ‘That’s very generous of you.’
a generous gift
considerate thinking about other people’s feelings, and careful not to do anything that will upset them:
Our neighbours are very considerate and always keep their TV turned down.
a considerate driver
He’s always very polite and considerate to his guests.
thoughtful thinking of things you can do to make other people happy or feel good – used especially when someone does something such as giving someone a present or helping someone:
It was thoughtful of you to send him a card.
Some thoughtful person had taken her bag to the lost property office.
caring kind and wanting to help and look after people:
She’s lucky to have such a loving and caring husband.
The British are well-known for their caring attitude toward animals.
sympathetic saying kind things to someone who has problems and behaving in a way that shows you care about them:
My boss was very sympathetic and said I should take some time off work.
She gave him a sympathetic smile.
good kind and showing that you want to help – used especially in the following phrases:
It was good of you to come and see me.
She’s always been very good to us.
sweet informal very kind – used especially when you like someone very much, or you are very pleased because of something they have done:
I was given the flowers by a sweet little old lady who lived next door.
It’s sweet of you to ask.
a sweet thing to say
kind-hearted/warm-hearted especially written having a kind and friendly character, which makes other people like you:
He was a wonderful father, kind-hearted and always laughing.
The town is full of warm-hearted, helpful people.
benevolent formal kind and wanting to help people – often used about someone who is important or who people respect:
a benevolent ruler
They believe in the existence of a benevolent God who will save mankind.
He listened politely, like some benevolent uncle.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

sweet
swi:t
See: short and sweet

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲