Standard Lemma guide

bittersweet

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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: American bittersweet, climbing bittersweet, false bittersweet, staff vine, waxwork, shrubby bittersweet, Celastrus scandens

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: vine

13

noun

Meaning 13

poisonous perennial Old World vine having violet flowers and oval coral-red berries; widespread weed in North America

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bittersweet nightshade, climbing nightshade, deadly nightshade, poisonous nightshade, woody nightshade, Solanum dulcamara

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: nightshade

History

Etymology

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
  • Azerbaijani: acıtəhər quşüzümü — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Bulgarian: черве́но ку́чешко гро́зде (červéno kúčeško grózde) — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Catalan: dolçamara — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Danish: Bittersød Natskygge — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Dutch: bitterzoet — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Estonian: harilik maavits — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Finnish: punakoiso — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • French: douce-amère — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • German: Bittersüß — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • German: Bittersüßer Nachtschatten — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Greek: στρύχνος (strýchnos) — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Irish: dréimire gorm — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Irish: fuath gorm — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Italian: dulcamara — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Latvian: bebrukārkliņš — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Lithuanian: karklavijas — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Norman: amièrdoux — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Norman: douoche-améthe — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Norman: mèrdou — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Polish: psianka słodkogórz — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Portuguese: doce-amarga — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Portuguese: dolce-amarga — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Romanian: lăsnicior — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Russian: паслён сла́дко-го́рький (pasljón sládko-górʹkij) — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Spanish: dulcamara — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Spanish: dulzamara — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Swedish: besksöta — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Turkish: yaban yasemini — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Ukrainian: Паслін солодко-гіркий (Paslin solodko-hirkyj) — bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
  • Bulgarian: цела́струс (celástrus) — a vine, of the genus Celastrus
  • Finnish: kelasköynnös — a vine, of the genus Celastrus
  • Polish: dławisz — a vine, of the genus Celastrus
  • Russian: древогу́бец (drevogúbec) — a vine, of the genus Celastrus
  • Serbo-Croatian: па̏сквица — a vine, of the genus Celastrus
  • Serbo-Croatian: го̏ркосла̄д — a vine, of the genus Celastrus
  • Serbo-Croatian: pȁskvica — a vine, of the genus Celastrus
  • Serbo-Croatian: gȍrkoslād — a vine, of the genus Celastrus