|
|
Sweet (sw t), Henry 1845-1912. British phonetician and philologist. A founder of modern phonetics, he is known especially for his History of English Sounds (1874). |
sweet (sw t)adj. sweet·er, sweet·est 1. Having the taste of sugar or a substance containing or resembling sugar, as honey or saccharin. 2. a. Containing or derived from sugar. b. Retaining some natural sugar; not dry: a sweet wine. 3. a. Pleasing to the senses; agreeable: the sweet song of the lark; a sweet face. b. Pleasing to the mind or feelings; gratifying: sweet revenge. 4. Having a pleasing disposition; lovable: a sweet child. 5. Kind; gracious: It was sweet of him to help out. 6. Fragrant; perfumed: a sweet scent. 7. Not saline or salted: sweet water; sweet butter. 8. Not spoiled, sour, or decaying; fresh: sweet milk. 9. Free of acid or acidity: sweet soil. 10. Low in sulfur content: sweet fuel oil. 11. Music Of, relating to, or being a form of jazz characterized by adherence to a melodic line and to a time signature. 12. Used as an intensive: took his own sweet time to finish; earns a sweet million per year. adv. In a sweet manner; sweetly. n.1. Sweet taste or quality; sweetness. 2. Something sweet to the taste. 3. sweetsa. Foods, such as candy, pastries, puddings, or preserves, that are high in sugar content. b. Informal Sweet potatoes: candied sweets. 4. Chiefly British a. A sweet dish, such as pudding, served as dessert. b. A sweetmeat or confection. 5. A dear or beloved person. 6. Something pleasing to the mind or feelings. Idiom: sweet on Informal Enamored of; in love with.
[Middle English swete, from Old English sw te; see sw d- in Indo-European roots.]
sweet ly adv. sweet ness n. |
Sweetness See Also: PLEASURE, TASTE - Sweet as a chaplain —Elizabeth Hardwick
’Sweet’ as a comparison dates way back probably beginning with Chaucer’s “Sweet as the root of licorice” and Henry Buttes’ “Sweet as a nut.” Variations continue to develop, or, to coin another simile, “Grow like the taste for sweet things.” - Sweet as a first love affair —Isak Dinesen
- (My tongue was) sweet as a fresh plum —George Garrett
- Sweet as a kiss —Isak Dinesen
- Sweet as a mountain lilac —Raymond Chandler
- Sweet as apple cider —Eddie Cantor
This simile was immortalized by singer-vaudevillian Eddie Cantor in his musical ode to his wife Ida: “Ida … sweet as apple cidah!” - (The words) sweet as a reprieve —Delmore Schwartz
- (We bit into life and life was) sweet as a ripe apple —George Garrett
- Sweet as cream —Marge Piercy
- Sweet as love, or the remembrance of a generous deed —William Wordsworth
- Sweet as love songs —Slogan, Kerr butterscotch candy
- Sweet as melancholy —Robert Burton
- Sweet as new-mown hay —W. S. Gilbert
- Sweet as pie —Anon
The “Sweet as pie” continues in use, both in its literal sense and to describe someone’s personality. - (Kisses as) sweet as sweet mountain dew —Langston Hughes
- Sweet as the hope of Paradise —F. van Wyck Mason
- Sweeter than honey from a rock —Christina Rossetti
- Sweeter than perfume —William Shakespeare
- Sweet like pineapple —Marge Piercy
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | sweetness - the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth | | 2. | sweetness - the property of tasting as if it contains sugar | | 3. | sweetness - a pleasingly sweet olfactory property | | 4. | sweetness - the quality of giving pleasure; "he was charmed by the sweetness of her manner"; "the pleasantness of a cool breeze on a hot summer day"quality - an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare agreeableness, amenity - pleasantness resulting from agreeable conditions; "a well trained staff saw to the agreeableness of our accommodations"; "he discovered the amenities of reading at an early age" enjoyableness - pleasantness resulting from something that can be enjoyed; "the enjoyableness of an afternoon at the beach" |
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|