Revised 2023
bittersweetnoun & adjective
Factsheet
What does the word bittersweet mean?
There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the word bittersweet, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
bittersweet has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
How common is the word bittersweet?
About 0.5occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 0.012 |
| 1760 | 0.0099 |
| 1770 | 0.011 |
| 1780 | 0.013 |
| 1790 | 0.017 |
| 1800 | 0.019 |
| 1810 | 0.026 |
| 1820 | 0.032 |
| 1830 | 0.041 |
| 1840 | 0.049 |
| 1850 | 0.065 |
| 1860 | 0.081 |
| 1870 | 0.11 |
| 1880 | 0.13 |
| 1890 | 0.15 |
| 1900 | 0.18 |
| 1910 | 0.2 |
| 1920 | 0.21 |
| 1930 | 0.23 |
| 1940 | 0.24 |
| 1950 | 0.25 |
| 1960 | 0.3 |
| 1970 | 0.36 |
| 1980 | 0.45 |
| 1990 | 0.53 |
| 2000 | 0.59 |
| 2010 | 0.64 |
How is the word bittersweet pronounced?
British English
/ˌbɪtəˈswiːt/
bit-uh-SWEET
/ˈbɪtəswiːt/
BIT-uhss-weet
U.S. English
/ˈbɪdərˌswit/
BID-uhr-sweet
/ˈbɪdərˌswit/
BID-uhr-sweet
Where does the word bittersweet come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the word bittersweet is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for bittersweet is from before 1393, in the writing of John Gower, poet.
bittersweet is formed within English, by compounding.
Etymons: bitter adj., sweet adj.
Nearby entries
- bitternut, n.1810–
- bitter oak, n.1640–
- bitter pepper, n.1862–1916
- bitter pill, n.?1535–
- bitter pit, n.1895–
- bitterroot, n.1828–
- bitter rot, n.1803–
- bitters, n.1713–
- bitter salt, n.1655–
- bitter spar, n.1794–
- bittersweet, n. & adj.a1393–
- bittersweet chocolate, n.1902–
- bitter-sweeting, n.1597–
- bittersweetness, n.a1425–
- bitter-tasting, adj.1844–
- bitter vetch, n.1551–
- bitterweed, n.1831–
- bitter-well, adv.1844–1902
- bitterwood, n.1681–
- bitterwort, n.a1500–
- bittie, n.1824–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for bittersweet, n. & adj.
bittersweet, n. & adj. was revised in July 2023.
bittersweet, n. & adj. was last modified in September 2023.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into bittersweet, n. & adj. in September 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1887)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Citation details
Factsheet for bittersweet, n. & adj.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- bitternut, n.1810–
- bitter oak, n.1640–
- bitter pepper, n.1862–1916
- bitter pill, n.?1535–
- bitter pit, n.1895–
- bitterroot, n.1828–
- bitter rot, n.1803–
- bitters, n.1713–
- bitter salt, n.1655–
- bitter spar, n.1794–
- bittersweet, n. & adj.a1393–
- bittersweet chocolate, n.1902–
- bitter-sweeting, n.1597–
- bittersweetness, n.a1425–
- bitter-tasting, adj.1844–
- bitter vetch, n.1551–
- bitterweed, n.1831–
- bitter-well, adv.1844–1902
- bitterwood, n.1681–
- bitterwort, n.a1500–
- bittie, n.1824–
