sweet ‧ en /ˈswiːtn/ BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ sweet , ↑ sweetener , ↑ sweetness , ↑ sweetie ; verb : ↑ sweeten ; adverb : ↑ sweetly ; adjective : ↑ sweet ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to make something sweeter, or become sweeter:
Sweeten the mixture with a little honey.
2 . [transitive] ( also sweeten somebody ↔ up ) informal to try to persuade someone to do what you want, by giving them presents or money or promising them something:
a cash bonus to sweeten the deal
⇨ ↑ sweetener (2)
3 . [transitive] literary to make someone kinder, gentler etc:
Old age had not sweetened her.
⇨ sweeten the pill at ↑ pill 1 (4)