bittersweet

[ adjective bit-er-sweet, bit-er-sweet; noun bit-er-sweet ]
/ adjective ˌbɪt ərˈswit, ˈbɪt ərˌswit; noun ˈbɪt ərˌswit /

adjective

both bitter and sweet to the taste: bittersweet chocolate.
both pleasant and painful or regretful: a bittersweet memory.

noun

Also called woody nightshade. a climbing or trailing plant, Solanum dulcamara, of the nightshade family, having small, violet, star-shaped flowers with a protruding yellow center and scarlet berries.
Also called climbing bittersweet. any climbing plant of the genus Celastrus, bearing orange capsules opening to expose red-coated seeds, especially C. scandens.
pleasure mingled with pain or regret: the bittersweet of parting.

Origin of bittersweet

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at bitter, sweet

OTHER WORDS FROM bittersweet

bit·ter·sweet·ly, adverb bit·ter·sweet·ness, noun

Words nearby bittersweet

bitternut, bitterroot, bitterroot range, bitterroot river, bitters, bittersweet, bitterweed, bitterwood, bitterwort, bitting, bittock

British Dictionary definitions for bittersweetly

bittersweet
/ (ˈbɪtəˌswiːt) /

noun

any of several North American woody climbing plants of the genus Celastrus, esp C. scandens, having orange capsules that open to expose scarlet-coated seeds: family Celastraceae
another name for woody nightshade

adjective

tasting of or being a mixture of bitterness and sweetness
pleasant but tinged with sadness