Meaning & use
bittersweet emotion
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable or uncountable
A feeling that combines both happiness and sadness at the same time.
Grammar: Can be countable ('a bittersweet emotion') or uncountable ('filled with bittersweet emotion').
Patterns
- a bittersweet emotion
- feel a bittersweet emotion
- with bittersweet emotion
Graduating was a bittersweet emotion; I was proud but sad to leave my friends.
She felt a bittersweet emotion as she watched her daughter get married.
The film filled me with bittersweet emotion.
Common combinations
- a bittersweet emotion
- Moving away from home was a bittersweet emotion for him.
- feel bittersweet emotion
- She felt bittersweet emotion when she saw her old school.
- mix of bittersweet emotions
- His retirement party was a mix of bittersweet emotions.
- with bittersweet emotion
- He spoke with bittersweet emotion about his childhood.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mixed feelings
- More common and general; it can refer to any conflicting emotions, not just happiness and sadness.
- poignant
- An adjective meaning evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret; it does not necessarily include happiness.
- nostalgia
- A sentimental longing for the past, often bittersweet but not always including happiness.
Opposites
Word family
- bittersweet adjective
- Describing something that is both pleasant and sad.
Commonly confused: bittersweet emotion or bittersweet?
bittersweet emotion vs bittersweet
'Bittersweet' is an adjective; 'bittersweet emotion' is a noun phrase. You can say 'a bittersweet moment' or 'a bittersweet emotion'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'bittersweet emotion' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Bittersweet emotion' describes a mix of happiness and sadness. Option A fits because winning the lottery could be happy but also bring sadness (e.g., missing someone). Option B is wrong because a traffic jam is only negative. Option C is wrong because 'bittersweet emotion' is not a taste. Option D is wrong because anger is not bittersweet.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bittersweet emotion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.