■ adjective
1》 having the pleasant taste characteristic of sugar or honey; not salty, sour, or bitter.
2》 (of air, water, etc.) fresh, pure, and untainted.
↘fragrant.
3》 pleasing in general; delightful.
↘working, moving, or done smoothly or easily.
↘melodious or harmonious.
↘ chiefly US denoting music, especially jazz, played at a steady tempo without improvisation.
4》 (of a person or action) pleasant and kind or thoughtful.
↘charming and endearing.
↘( ~ on ) informal, dated infatuated or in love with.
↘dear; beloved.
↘ archaic used as a respectful form of address.
■ noun
1》 Brit. a small shaped piece of confectionery made with sugar.
2》 Brit. a ~ dish forming a course of a meal; a pudding or dessert.
3》 used as a very affectionate form of address.
4》 ( ~s ) the pleasures or delights found in something.
Phrases
keep someone ~ informal keep someone well disposed towards oneself, especially by favours or bribery.
she's ~ Austral./NZ informal all is well.
Derivatives
~ish adjective
~ly adverb
Origin
OE swēte , of Gmc origin.