sweeten

verb

sweet·​en ˈswē-tᵊn How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
sweetened; sweetening ˈswē-tᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
ˈswēt-niŋ

transitive verb

1
: to make sweet
2
: to soften the mood or attitude of
3
: to make less painful or trying
4
: to free from a harmful or undesirable quality or substance
especially : to remove sulfur compounds from
sweeten natural gas
5
: to make more valuable or attractive
sweeten the deal
: such as
a
: to increase (a pot not won on the previous deal) by anteing prior to another deal
b
: to place additional securities as collateral for (a loan)

intransitive verb

: to become sweet
sweetener
ˈswēt-nər
ˈswē-tᵊn-ər How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
noun

Examples of sweeten in a Sentence

He sweetened his cereal a little. He sweetened the deal with a large signing bonus.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Bulls aren’t interested in attaching assets to sweeten the deal in a player trade. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025 Turn to these desserts to sweeten your winter baking. Patricia S York, Southern Living, 2 Feb. 2025 In six of those nine deferral-laden deals over the last half-decade, the Dodgers have also included large, immediate signing bonuses to sweeten their offers to big-name players. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025 Hudson played a hulking Lowrey organ, the FL (or Festival) model; it was purchased by the Band in 1961, to help sweeten the deal after Hudson refused their first several offers to join. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for sweeten 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sweeten was circa 1552

Dictionary Entries Near sweeten

Cite this Entry

“Sweeten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweeten. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

sweeten

verb
sweet·​en ˈswēt-ᵊn How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
sweetened; sweetening ˈswēt-niŋ How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become sweet
sweetener
ˈswēt-nər How to pronounce sweeten (audio)
-ᵊn-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sweeten

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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