Meaning & use

bittersweet

adjective·Academic

Combining both pleasure and pain, or happiness and sadness, at the same time.

See it in a sentence

Graduation was a bittersweet day, full of pride but also sadness about leaving friends.

Watching old family videos brings a bittersweet mix of joy and longing.

A note on using this word

Bittersweet describes mixed emotional experiences, not just literal taste, and often appears with nouns like 'memory,' 'moment,' or 'farewell.'

Words with a similar meaning

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