different between handsome vs sweet

English

Etymology

From Middle English handsum, hondsom, equivalent to hand +? -some. Compare Dutch handzaam, German Low German handsaam. The original sense was ‘easy to handle or use’, hence ‘suitable’ and ‘apt, clever’ (mid 16th century), giving rise to the current appreciatory senses (late 16th century).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?hæn.s?m/ or occasionally /?hænd.s?m/~/?hænt.s?m/
• Hyphenation: hand?some
• Homophone: Hansom

Adjective

handsome (comparative more handsome or handsomer, superlative most handsome or handsomest)

1. (of people, things, etc) Having a good appearance; good-looking.
   • 1916, On H.R. 4683, site for post-office building at Chicago, Ill, page 117:

     On the opposite side of the street, on the corner, is the city hall, a very handsome building of brick and stone.

   • 2006, Richard Leviton, The Gods in Their Cities, iUniverse (?ISBN), page 44:

     Often, human mortals describe their visits to the Tuatha's [places] in similar terms: they were great bright places, occupied by exceedingly handsome men and women, that sported wonderful crystal chairs, inexhaustible supplies of mead or ale ...

   1. (of a man or boy) Visually attractive; pleasant looking, good-looking.

   2. (of a woman) beautiful, or (especially in later usage) striking, impressive and elegantly proportioned.
      • 1662, Samuel Pepys, diary

        I saw, I confess, some good dancing and some handsome women, which was all my pleasure.
2. Good, appealing, appropriate.
   1. (of weather) Fine, clear and bright.
      • 1808, John Pinkerton, A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World, page 513:

        Sunday, the sixth, we heaved up our sheet-anchor again, the day beginning with little wind, and continued handsome weather till eight at night, when the wind came to S. S. W. and it fell a snowing.

      • 1911, Farm Chemicals, page 60:

        The story goes that James Whitcomb Riley, the poet, on a beautiful spring day, in making his way from his home to his office, was accosted by numerous friends on the way who were exclaiming most extravagantly on the beauty of the day. It was "Good morning, Mr. Riley, a fine day;" "Good morning, Mr. Riley, […] a handsome day;" […] .

   2. Suitable or fit in action; marked with propriety and ease; appropriate.
      • 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, Volume I, Chapter 2

        For a few days, every morning visit in Highbury included some mention of the handsome letter Mrs. Weston had received. “I suppose you have heard of the handsome letter Mr. Frank Churchill has written to Mrs. Weston? I understand it was a very handsome letter, indeed. Mr. Woodhouse told me of it. Mr. Woodhouse saw the letter, and he says he never saw such a handsome letter in his life.”

3. Generous or noble in character.
   • 1859, George Meredith, The Ordeal of Richard Feverel, Chapter 11:

     I'm a plain man, Mr. Feverel. Above board with me, and you'll find me handsome.

4. Ample; moderately large.

   Synonyms: hefty, substantial
5. (obsolete, said of things and people) Dexterous; skillful.

Usage notes

The sense of good looking was originally equally applicable to both sexes, but is now used mostly of men. In current usage, when applied to a woman it may connote a non-traditional or masculine form of beauty, as opposed to more neutral alternatives such as beautiful or attractive.

Derived terms

• do the handsome thing

Translations

Verb

handsome (third-person singular simple present handsomes, present participle handsoming, simple past and past participle handsomed)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To render handsome.

References

Anagrams

• mashed on

English

Etymology

From Middle English sweete, swete, from Old English sw?te (“sweet”), from Proto-West Germanic *sw?t?, from Proto-Germanic *sw?tuz (“sweet”), from Proto-Indo-European *swéh?dus (“sweet”).

Cognate and synonymous with Scots sweit, North Frisian sweete, West Frisian swiet, Low German sööt, Dutch zoet, German süß, Danish sød, Swedish söt, Norwegian søt, Latin su?vis, Sanskrit ?????? (sv?dú), Ancient Greek ???? (h?dús). Doublet of suave.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /swi?t/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /swit/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /swi?t/
• Rhymes: -i?t
• Homophone: suite

Adjective

sweet (comparative sweeter, superlative sweetest)

1. Having a pleasant taste, especially one relating to the basic taste sensation induced by sugar.

2. Having a taste of sugar.
   • 2018 May 16, Adam Rogers, Wired, "The Fundamental Nihilism of Yanny vs. Laurel":

     A few types of molecules get sensed by receptors on the tongue. Protons coming off of acids ping receptors for "sour." Sugars get received as "sweet." Bitter, salty, and the proteinaceous flavor umami all set off their own neural cascades.

3. (wine) Retaining a portion of sugar.

4. Not having a salty taste.

5. Having a pleasant smell.
   • 1838, Longfellow, "Voices of the Night: The Reaper and the Flowers":

     The breath of these flowers is sweet to me.

6. Not decaying, fermented, rancid, sour, spoiled, or stale.

7. Having a pleasant sound.
   • 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, A Scarlet Letter, Ticknor and Fields, page 135:

     a voice sweet, tremulous, but powerful

8. Having a pleasing disposition.

9. Having a helpful disposition.

10. (mineralogy) Free from excessive unwanted substances like acid or sulphur.

11. (informal) Very pleasing; agreeable.
    • 14 November 2014, Steven Haliday, Scotland 1-0 Republic of Ireland: Maloney the hero

      GORDON Strachan enjoyed the sweetest of his 16 matches in charge of Scotland so far as his team enhanced their prospects of Euro 2016 qualification with a crucial and deserved victory over Republic of Ireland.

12. (slang) Doing well; in a good or happy position.
13. (informal, followed by on) Romantically fixated, enamoured with, fond of

    The attraction was mutual and instant; they were sweet on one another from first sight.

14. (obsolete) Fresh; not salt or brackish.
    • 1627, Francis Bacon, Sylva Sylvarum: or A Natural History, in The Works of Francis Bacon (1826), page 66

      The white of an egg, or blood mingled with salt water, doth gather the saltness and maketh the water sweeter; this may be by adhesion.
15. Pleasing to the eye; beautiful; mild and attractive; fair.
    • 1667, John Milton, Paradise lost (source), Samuel Simmons, page 278:

      Sweet interchange / Of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains.

Synonyms

• (having a taste of sugar): saccharine, sugary
• (containing a sweetening ingredient): sugared, sweetened
• (not having a salty taste): fresh, unsalty
• (having a pleasant smell): fragrant, odoriferous, odorous, perfumed, scented, sweet-scented, sweet-smelling
• (not decaying, fermented, rancid, sour, spoiled, or stale): fresh, unfermented, wholesome
• (having a pleasant sound): dulcet, honeyed, mellifluous, mellisonant
• (having a pleasing disposition): cute, lovable, pleasant
• (having a helpful disposition): kind, gracious, helpful, sensitive, thoughtful
• ((informal) very pleasing): rad, awesome, wicked

Antonyms

• (having a pleasant taste): bitter, sour, salty
• (containing a sweetening ingredient): nonsweet, sugarless, unsugared, unsweetened, unsweet
• (of wines: retaining a portion of natural sugar): dry
• (not decaying, fermented, rancid, sour, spoiled, or stale): decaying, fermented, rancid, sour, spoiled, stale
• (not having a salty taste): salty, savoury
• (free from excessive unwanted substances): sour
• ((informal) very pleasing): lame, uncool

Derived terms

Translations

See sweet/translations § Adjective.

Interjection

sweet

1. Used as a positive response to good news or information.

   They're making a sequel? Ah, sweet!

Adverb

sweet (comparative more sweet, superlative most sweet)

1. In a sweet manner.
   • 1598, Shakespeare, Love's Labour Lost, Act 1 Scene 1:

     "and, sweet my child, let them be men of good repute and carriage."

     (and, my child, allow them sweetly to be men with good reputations and conduct)

Synonyms

• (in a sweet manner): sweetly

Translations

Noun

sweet (countable and uncountable, plural sweets)

1. (uncountable) The basic taste sensation induced by sugar.
2. (countable, Britain) A confection made from sugar, or high in sugar content; a candy.
3. (countable, Britain) A food eaten for dessert.

   Can we see the sweet menu, please?

4. Sweetheart; darling.

   • Wherefore frowns my sweet?

5. (obsolete) That which is sweet or pleasant in odour; a perfume.
6. (obsolete) Sweetness, delight; something pleasant to the mind or senses.
   • 1613, John Marston, William Barksted, The Insatiate Countess, III.2:

     Fear's fire to fervency, which makes love's sweet prove nectar.

Synonyms

• (sweet taste sensation): See sweetness
• (food that is high in sugar content): bonbon, candy (US), confection, confectionery, lolly (Australia)
• (food eaten for dessert): See dessert

Derived terms

• spoon sweet
• sweet shop / sweetshop

Translations

Verb

sweet (third-person singular simple present sweets, present participle sweeting, simple past and past participle sweeted)

1. (obsolete or poetic) To sweeten.

Anagrams

• weest, weets

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sv???t/

Etymology 1

From Dutch zweet, from Middle Dutch sweet, from Old Dutch *sweit, *sw?t, from Proto-Germanic *swait-, from Proto-Indo-European *sweyd-.

Noun

sweet (uncountable)

1. sweat

Etymology 2

From Dutch zweten, from Middle Dutch swêten.

Verb

sweet (present sweet, present participle swetende, past participle gesweet)

1. to sweat

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *sw?t, from Proto-Germanic *swait-.

Noun

swêet n

1. sweat, perspiration

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Alternative forms

• sweit

Derived terms

• swêten

Descendants

• Dutch: zweet
• Limburgish: zweit

Further reading

• “sweet”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929) , “sweet”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, ?ISBN