adj · noun · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
US:/ˈbɪtɚˌswit/
US:[ˈbɪɾɚˌswiʔt̚]
US:/ˌbɪtɚˈswit/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːt
CMU ARPABET:B IH1 T ER0 S W IY2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Both bitter and sweet.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
bittersweet chocolate
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
The break-up was very bittersweet; they both hurt to end it, but were glad it was over.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Of bittersweet color (see the noun section, below).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Bittersweetness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A vine, of the genus Celastrus, having small orange fruit that open to reveal red seeds.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A variety of apple with a bittersweet taste.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
Any variety of clam in the family Glycymerididae
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
A pinkish-orange color. Any color in between scarlet and orange.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
adjective satellite
Meaning 10
tinged with sadness
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a movie with a bittersweet ending
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
adjective satellite
Meaning 11
having a taste that is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: semisweet
Antonyms: none provided
12
noun
Meaning 12
twining shrub of North America having yellow capsules enclosing scarlet seeds
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
From Middle English bitterswete, biterswete, equivalent to bitter + sweet. Cognate with Saterland Frisian bitterswäit (“bittersweet”), West Frisian bittersoet (“bittersweet”), Dutch bitterzoet (“bittersweet”), German bittersüß (“bittersweet”), Danish bittersød (“bittersweet”), Swedish bittersöt (“bittersweet”).
Across languages
Translations
107 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
bitter soet
— both bitter and sweet
Arabic:
حُلْو وَمُرّ
(ḥulw wamurr)
— both bitter and sweet
Arabic:
حُلْوَة وَمُرَّة
— both bitter and sweet
Belarusian:
горка-салодкі
(horka-salodki)
— both bitter and sweet
Bengali:
বিটারসুইট
(biṭarśuiṭ)
— both bitter and sweet
Bulgarian:
сла́дко-горчи́в
(sládko-gorčív)
— both bitter and sweet
Catalan:
agredolç
— both bitter and sweet
Chinese Mandarin:
苦甜
(kǔtián)
— both bitter and sweet
Dutch:
bitterzoet
— both bitter and sweet
Esperanto:
dolĉamara
— both bitter and sweet
Finnish:
katkeranmakea
— both bitter and sweet
French:
doux-amer
— both bitter and sweet
French:
aigre-doux
— both bitter and sweet
Galician:
agridoce
— both bitter and sweet
German:
bittersüß
— both bitter and sweet
Greek:
γλυκόπικρος
(glykópikros)
— both bitter and sweet
Greek:
γλυκόξινος
(glykóxinos)
— both bitter and sweet
Ancient Greek:
γλυκύπικρος
(glukúpikros)
— both bitter and sweet
Hebrew:
מָתוֹק מַר
— both bitter and sweet
Hungarian:
keserédes
— both bitter and sweet
Indonesian:
pahit manis
— both bitter and sweet
Italian:
agrodolce
— both bitter and sweet
Italian:
dolceamaro
— both bitter and sweet
Japanese:
ほろ苦い
(horonigai)
— both bitter and sweet
Khmer:
ភាពល្វីងនៅឡើយ
(pheap lving nowlaey)
— both bitter and sweet
Korean:
달콤 씁쓸한
(dalkom sseupsseulhan)
— both bitter and sweet
Latin:
dulcamarus
— both bitter and sweet
Macedonian:
горко-сладок
(gorko-sladok)
— both bitter and sweet
Mongolian:
амьдралын баяр гуниг
(amʹdralyn bajar gunig)
— both bitter and sweet
Neapolitan:
'nzeviero
— both bitter and sweet
Persian:
تلخ و شیرین
(talx-o-širin)
— both bitter and sweet
Polish:
słodko-gorzki
— both bitter and sweet
Portuguese:
agridoce
— both bitter and sweet
Russian:
горько-сладкий
(gorʹko-sladkij)
— both bitter and sweet
Serbo-Croatian:
горкосладак
— both bitter and sweet
Serbo-Croatian:
gorkosladak
— both bitter and sweet
Sinhalese:
තිත්ත
(titta)
— both bitter and sweet
Spanish:
dulce y amargo
— both bitter and sweet
Spanish:
agridulce
— both bitter and sweet
Tagalog:
agridulse
— both bitter and sweet
Tagalog:
matamis na mapait
— both bitter and sweet
Turkish:
mayhoş
— both bitter and sweet
Turkish:
buruk
— both bitter and sweet
Uzbek:
shirin achchiq
— both bitter and sweet
Vietnamese:
cay đắng ngọt ngào
— both bitter and sweet
Albanian:
gazavaj
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Arabic:
حُلْو وَمُرّ
(ḥulw wamurr)
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Arabic:
حُلْوَة وَمُرَّة
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Bulgarian:
сла́дко-горчи́в
(sládko-gorčív)
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Catalan:
agredolç
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Dutch:
bitterzoet
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Esperanto:
dolĉamara
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Finnish:
katkeransuloinen
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
French:
mi-figue mi-raisin
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
French:
doux-amer
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Galician:
agridoce
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
German:
bittersüß
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Greek:
γλυκόπικρος
(glykópikros)
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Hungarian:
keserédes
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Icelandic:
ljúfsár
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Italian:
agrodolce
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Japanese:
悲喜こもごも
(hikikomogomo)
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Macedonian:
горко-сладок
(gorko-sladok)
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Polish:
zaprawiony kroplą goryczy
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Portuguese:
agridoce
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Serbo-Croatian:
gorkosladak
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Spanish:
agridulce
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Swedish:
bitterljuv
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Turkish:
acısı ve tatlısı ile
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure
Turkish:
buruk sevinç
— expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure