What does bittersweet mean?

Definitions for bittersweet
ˌbɪt ərˈswit, ˈbɪt ərˌswit; ˈbɪt ərˌswitbit·ter·sweet

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word bittersweet.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade, climbing nightshade, deadly nightshade, poisonous nightshade, woody nightshade, Solanum dulcamaranoun

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

  2. bittersweet, American bittersweet, climbing bittersweet, false bittersweet, staff vine, waxwork, shrubby bittersweet, Celastrus scandensadjective

    twining shrub of North America having yellow capsules enclosing scarlet seeds

  3. bittersweetadjective

    tinged with sadness

    "a movie with a bittersweet ending"

  4. bittersweet, semisweetadjective

    having a taste that is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness

Wiktionary

  1. bittersweetnoun

    a vine, of the genus Celastrus, having small orange fruits that open to reveal red seeds

  2. bittersweetnoun

    the bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara

  3. bittersweetnoun

    A variety of apple with a bittersweet taste.

  4. bittersweetadjective

    both bitter and sweet

  5. bittersweetadjective

    expressing contrasting emotions of pain and pleasure

    The break-up was very bittersweet; they both hurt to end it, but were glad it was over.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Bittersweetnoun

    The name of an apple, which has a compound taste of sweet and bitter.

    Etymology: from bitter and sweet.

    It is but a bittersweet at best, and the fine colours of the serpent do by no means make amends for the smart and poison of his sting. South.

    When I express the taste of an apple, which we call the bittersweet, none can mistake what I mean. Isaac Watts, Logick.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Bittersweetadjective

    sweet and then bitter or bitter and then sweet; esp. sweet with a bitter after taste; hence (Fig.), pleasant but painful

  2. Bittersweetnoun

    anything which is bittersweet

  3. Bittersweetnoun

    a kind of apple so called

  4. Bittersweetnoun

    a climbing shrub, with oval coral-red berries (Solanum dulcamara); woody nightshade. The whole plant is poisonous, and has a taste at first sweetish and then bitter. The branches are the officinal dulcamara

  5. Bittersweetnoun

    an American woody climber (Celastrus scandens), whose yellow capsules open late in autumn, and disclose the red aril which covers the seeds; -- also called Roxbury waxwork

Freebase

  1. Bittersweet

    Bittersweet is the second studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Blu Cantrell, released in the United States on June 24, 2003 by Arista Records. It debuted at number thirty-seven on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart selling 29,000 units in its opening week and spawned the international hit single "Breathe". The album did not share the domestic success of So Blu, selling only 228,000 copies in the U.S. and remaining so far uncertified by the Recording Industry Association of America. However, unlike Cantrell's debut album, Bittersweet managed to reach international markets, performing modestly in certain European nations.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of bittersweet in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of bittersweet in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of bittersweet in a Sentence

  1. Betty Brown:

    He is no longer out there able to do the things that he did to me and Nacole and to others, this is a bittersweet moment. I'm mad that I did get that opportunity to face him.

  2. Courtney White:

    When we got the first call that people were being arrested we cried it was like that first glimmer of hope in seven months, it was bittersweet, we cried … I mean it was just so wonderful to hear that something was being done.

  3. Valerie Bertinelli:

    I don’t know why I’m tearing up. You know when you hear voices and you see people that you feel the connection with and — you guys always make me tear up. It’s been rough. Very bittersweet.

  4. Victor Glover Jr.:

    It is bittersweet, because I’ve had some amazing colleagues before me that really could have done it, and there are some amazing folks that will go behind me,”

  5. Thomas Homan:

    It has been the honor of my life to lead the men and women of ICE for more than a year, the decision to leave federal service after more than 34 years is bittersweet, but my family has sacrificed a lot in order for me to serve and it's time for me to focus on them.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

bittersweet#10000#31261#100000

Translations for bittersweet

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"bittersweet." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 4 Jun 2023. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/bittersweet>.

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