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
It took connections from the Art Institute and his pieces going viral online for Leonard to eventually land the Netflix deal in August — but it was a bittersweet moment.
Turning Children’s Disabilities Into Superpowers|Joshua Eferighe|October 15, 2020|Ozy
It’s a sweet and simple movie with a healthy dose of bittersweet wistfulness for a fading world, and it’s beautiful.
11 compelling documentaries to watch for this fall|Alissa Wilkinson|October 9, 2020|Vox
Last week I turned 40, a bittersweet occasion because I crossed the line to living longer without my mother than with her.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This final episode of Extras is the perfect Christmastime escape for those who prefer the bittersweet to the saccharine.
The Top 10 Nontraditional Christmas TV Episodes|Jace Lacob|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Other countries understand the bittersweet better than we do.
Life After ‘Winter’s Bone’: Debra Granik on Finding J. Law and the Plight of the Female Director|Marlow Stern|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the Marc show where the only song was Bittersweet Symphony.
It's Who You Know: The Power Players of New York Fashion Week|Barbara Ragghianti|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On July 9, South Sudan will mark three years since independence, but any celebration will be bittersweet.
Creating Consequences for South Sudan’s Political Elite|Justine Fleischner|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The head was buffy yellow, changing to bittersweet orange back of the eyes and on the gills.
Edge of the Jungle|William Beebe
Mary had thought of turning back to break off another spray of the bittersweet but John's profanity was rising to heaven.
The Story of a Doctor's Telephone--Told by His Wife|Ellen M. Firebaugh
Our native Celastrus, popularly known as Bittersweet, is a very desirable vine if it can be given something to twine itself about.
Amateur Gardencraft|Eben E. Rexford
Around the case he planted wild clematis, bittersweet, and wild-grapevines, and trained them over it until it was almost covered.
Freckles|Gene Stratton-Porter
Even in winter the wild garden was beautiful from the brilliant Bittersweet which hung from every tree.
Old-Time Gardens|Alice Morse Earle
British Dictionary definitions for bittersweet
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