sweeten
/ˈswiːt(ə)n
/verb
1Make or become sweet or sweeter, especially in taste: [with object]: a cup of coffee sweetened with saccharin [no object]: her smile sweetened...
- Add 1 cup whipping cream, whipped and sweetened to taste
- Stabilise wine with Potassium Sorbate at the final racking, sweeten to taste, then bottle.
- Once the juice has cooled, remove the flavourings and sweeten to taste.
Synonyms
make sweet, add sugar to, sugar, sugar-coat, add honey to, add sweetener to
freshen, refresh, fresh, purify, deodorize, perfume
1.1 [with object] Make more agreeable or acceptable: there is no way to sweeten the statement...
- The former is an agreeable and clever portrait that domesticates and sweetens its subject's subversiveness.
Synonyms
soften, ease, alleviate, make agreeable, relieve, mitigate, make less painful, mellow, temper, cushion;
embellish, embroider, dress up
1.2 [with object] informal Induce (someone) to be well disposed or helpful to oneself: I am in the process of sweetening him up...
- Catholics dominate the lower levels of the party, so to get on a young, aspiring politician has to sweeten these people.
- Labour accused Environment Minister Martin Cullen of being like Santa Claus for trying to sweeten voters when he announces the €19.5 million urban renewal and Border grant package today.
- The pair, who will dodge mine fields in Senegal and sweeten border officials with a supply of football T-shirts, will travel across France and Spain before catching the boat to Morocco and heading south to Banjul.
Synonyms
mollify, placate, soothe, soften, soften up, mellow, pacify, appease, win over
Phrases
sweeten the pill