Bittersweet
adjective /ˈbɪt.əˌswiːt/ — Pleasantly tinged with sadness
Definition
Containing a mixture of pain and pleasure — both sweet and sorrowful simultaneously, as if the beauty of a thing and its transience have arrived together.
Beyond the definition
The emotion of endings that were also perfect. Bittersweet is what happens when happiness and grief cannot be separated from each other.
Origin & history
From 'bitter' + 'sweet' — a compound that contains its own contradiction. The Romantics understood that the most beautiful things carry the awareness of their own passing.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The reunion was bittersweet — joy at seeing each other, sorrow at how much time had passed.
Nostalgia is inherently bittersweet: the memory is beautiful because the moment is gone.
She described the last chapter as bittersweet. It was the only honest word for it.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Bittersweet” when the meaning fits your context: Containing a mixture of pain and pleasure — both sweet and sorrowful simultaneously, as if the beauty of a thing and its transience have arrived together.
Synonyms
poignant, melancholic, nostalgic, wistful, mixed-feeling
Antonyms
purely joyful, straightforwardly sad
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Bittersweet" mean?
Bittersweet is adjective meaning: Pleasantly tinged with sadness. Containing a mixture of pain and pleasure — both sweet and sorrowful simultaneously, as if the beauty of a thing and its transience have arrived together.
Where does the word "Bittersweet" come from?
From 'bitter' + 'sweet' — a compound that contains its own contradiction. The Romantics understood that the most beautiful things carry the awareness of their own passing.