sweeten

verb

sweet·​en ˈswē-tᵊn 

sweetened; sweetening ˈswē-tᵊn-iŋ 

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 

noun

Synonyms

• candy
• dress up
• enhance

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

Its richer, caramel-laden notes are easily sopped up with buttery bread and pastry, cutting through the fat to soften and sweeten things ever so gently. —Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2024

Blue light-blocking glasses have been linked to improving your sleep cycle and reducing eye strain, and to sweeten the deal, these pretty specs are on sale at Amazon today. —Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024

Screenshot: Amazon Autos And for a limited time, Amazon is sweetening the deal by offering a gift card for $2,300 for anyone who buys a car through the site. —Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 10 Dec. 2024

Par previously sweetened the trio’s compensation in June to reflect their new roles. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing sweeten

• pre-sweeten
• sugar/sweeten the pill
• sweeten up

Kids Definition

sweeten

verb

sweet·​en ˈswēt-ᵊn 

sweetened; sweetening ˈswēt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to make or become sweet

sweetener

ˈswēt-nər 

-ᵊn-ər

noun