sweeten

American  

[sweet-n] / ˈswit n /

verb (used with object)

1. to make sweet, as by adding sugar.

2. to make mild or kind; soften.

3. to lessen the acridity or pungency of (a food) by prolonged cooking.

4. to reduce the saltiness of (a food or dish) by diluting with water, milk, or other liquid.

5. to make (the breath, room air, etc.) sweet or fresh, as with a mouthwash, spray, etc.

6. (in musical recording) to add musical instruments to (an arrangement), especially strings for a lusher sound.

7. Chemistry.

   1. to make (the stomach, soil, etc.) less acidic, as by means of certain preparations, chemicals, etc.

   2. to remove sulfur and its compounds from (oil or gas).

8. Informal.

   1. to enhance the value of (loan collateral) by including additional or especially valuable securities.

   2. to add to the value or attractiveness of (any proposition, holding, etc.).

9. to add more liquor to (an alcoholic drink).

10. Poker. to add stakes to (a pot) before opening.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become sweet or sweeter.

sweeten British  

/ ˈswiːtən /

verb

1. (also intr) to make or become sweet or sweeter

2. to mollify or soften (a person)

3. to make more agreeable

4. (also intr) chem to free or be freed from unpleasant odours, acidic or corrosive substances, or the like

5. finance to raise the value of (loan collateral) by adding more securities

6. informal poker to enlarge (the pot) by adding chips

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Other Word Forms

• nonsweetened adjective
• outsweeten verb (used with object)
• oversweeten verb (used with object)
• presweeten verb (used with object)
• resweeten verb
• unsweetened adjective

Etymology

Origin of sweeten

First recorded in 1545–55; sweet + -en ¹

Explanation

When you sweeten something, you make it taste sweeter. To sweeten your lemonade, just add more sugar. To literally sweeten something, like your muffin recipe or a cup of tea, all you need to do is add something that tastes sweet, like honey, molasses, sugar, or even apple juice. When you figuratively sweeten something, you make it more appealing or acceptable. The phrase "sweeten the pot" or "sweeten the deal" comes from poker, in which it means to add more bets (or money) to the game.

Example Sentences

Returning to either tour requires eating a slice of humble pie and, for some, paying a fortune to sweeten the deal.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Officials decided to sweeten the pot by offering to export the “Taiwan model” of high-tech industrial clusters to America.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

CEO David Zaslav wants Paramount to sweeten its $30-a-share bid.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

The Lakers will have about $60-million in salary cap space this summer and three first-round picks in 2026, 2031 and 2023 they could use to sweeten potential trade offers.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2026

They are the enemy to bitterness and regret, and sweeten this exile we have brought upon ourselves.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Related Words

• mull