BITTERSWEET - Definition & Meaning for Kids
Meaning 1
Part of speech: Adjective
tinged with sadness
Example: a movie with a bittersweet ending
Meaning 2
Part of speech: Adjective
having a taste that is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness
Synonyms
Staff vine, Deadly nightshade, Semisweet, Bittersweet, American bittersweet
🌱 Word Origin (Etymology)
The word "bittersweet" comes from Middle English bitterswete. Many other languages have similar words:
- Saterland Frisian: bitterswäit
- West Frisian: bittersoet
- Dutch: bitterzoet
- German: bittersüß
- Danish: bittersød
- Swedish: bittersöt
🔗 Related Words
bitter – A related word in the same word family.
sweet – A related word in the same word family.
🧩 Fun Fact
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales show how creatively Middle English speakers mixed vocabularies.