bit·ter·sweet
ˈbi-tər-ˌswēt 
1
: something that is bittersweet
especially
: pleasure accompanied by suffering or regret
… the bittersweet of their long separation … —
Christopher Morley
Christopher Morley 2
botany
a
: a poisonous Eurasian woody vine (Solanum dulcamara) of the nightshade family that has purple flowers and oval reddish berries and is naturalized (see naturalize sense 4) in North America
b
: a North American poisonous woody vine (Celastrus scandens) of the staff-tree family having clusters of small greenish flowers succeeded by yellow capsules (see capsule entry 1 sense 2a) that open when ripe and disclose the scarlet aril
1
: being at once bitter and sweet
especially
: pleasant but including or marked by elements of suffering or regret
a bittersweet ballad
bittersweet memories
2
: of or relating to a prepared chocolate containing little sugar
bittersweet chocolate chips
bittersweetly
adverb
bittersweetness
noun
Examples of bittersweet in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
TIME, 14 Mar. 2024
The mood was all at once jubilant and a little bittersweet.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Jan. 2024
Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
This pie comprises a rich bittersweet chocolate pudding topped with sweetened, toasted coconut and pecans, all served up in a flaky buttery pie crust.
—Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bittersweet 
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Noun
Their characters had a deep connection and were hilarious together, making their send-off bittersweet.
—TIME, 14 Mar. 2024
The mood was all at once jubilant and a little bittersweet.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Jan. 2024
Adjective
The day was bittersweet for some former councilmembers who had worked for this day for nearly 30 years.
—Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
This pie comprises a rich bittersweet chocolate pudding topped with sweetened, toasted coconut and pecans, all served up in a flaky buttery pie crust.
—Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bittersweet
Dictionary Entries Near bittersweet
Cite this Entry
“Bittersweet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bittersweet. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bittersweet
1 of 2 noun
bit·ter·sweet
ˈbit-ər-ˌswēt
1
: a poisonous woody vine of the nightshade family with purple flowers and oval reddish orange berries
2
: a North American woody vine with yellow seedcases that open when ripe to show the scarlet seed covers
bittersweet
2 of 2 adjective
: being both bitter and sweet
a bittersweet story
Medical Definition
bittersweet
noun
bit·ter·sweet
ˈbit-ər-ˌswēt, ˌbit-ər-ˈ
: a sprawling poisonous weedy nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) with purple flowers and oval reddish orange berries that is the source of dulcamara
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