bitter-sweet

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Bringing both pleasure and sadness at the same time.

   Grammar: Can be comparative: 'a more bittersweet ending' or 'the most bittersweet moment'. Usually used before a noun or after a linking verb.

   Patterns

   • a bittersweet moment
   • feel bittersweet
   • bittersweet memories

   Graduation was a bittersweet day; we were happy but also sad to leave.

   The film has a bittersweet ending that made everyone cry.

   Looking at old photos gave her a bittersweet feeling.

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Having a flavor that is both bitter and sweet.

   Grammar: Used mainly before a noun: 'a bittersweet chocolate'. Also used after verbs like 'taste': 'The sauce tastes bittersweet.'

   Patterns

   • bittersweet chocolate
   • taste bittersweet
   • a bittersweet flavor

   I prefer dark, bittersweet chocolate to milk chocolate.

   The orange sauce had a bittersweet taste that I really liked.

   This coffee is too bittersweet for me.

3. 3nouncountable or uncountabletechnical

   A climbing plant with purple and yellow flowers, or the color of those flowers.

   Grammar: As a plant it is countable: 'a bittersweet grew by the fence.' As a color it is uncountable: 'painted in bittersweet.'

   Patterns

   • bittersweet vine
   • bittersweet flowers

   The bittersweet vine climbed up the old wall.

   Bittersweet berries are bright red in autumn.

Word forms

Common combinations

bittersweet moment

Saying goodbye was a bittersweet moment for the whole team.

bittersweet memories

She smiled at the bittersweet memories of her childhood home.

bittersweet chocolate

The recipe calls for 70% bittersweet chocolate.

a bittersweet feeling

Moving to a new city gave him a bittersweet feeling.

Synonyms and how they differ

poignant

Poignant emphasizes a sharp, deeply emotional sadness, often without the pleasure side; bittersweet always mixes pleasure and sadness.

mixed

Mixed feelings are simply a combination of different emotions, not necessarily sweet and sad at once.

nostalgic

Nostalgic is about longing for the past; bittersweet can be about the present too and always includes sadness.

Opposites

Word family

bitter adjective

Having a sharp, unpleasant taste; also feeling angry or resentful.

sweet adjective

Tasting like sugar; also pleasant or kind.

bittersweetness noun

The quality of being bittersweet.

Commonly confused: bitter-sweet or bitter? bitter-sweet or sweet-and-sour?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “bitter-sweet”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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