sweetness

• sweetnesse (obsolete)

From Middle English swetnes, swetnesse, from Old English swētnes (“sweetness”), from Proto-West Germanic *swōtinassī (“sweetness”), equivalent to sweet +‎ -ness. Cognate with West Frisian swietens (“sweetness”), obsolete Dutch zoetenis (“sweetness”), Old High German swuoznessi, suoznessi (“sweetness”).

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: swēt'nəs, IPA^(key): /ˈswiːtnəs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈswitnəs/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: sweet‧ness

sweetness (countable and uncountable, plural sweetnesses)

1. The condition of being sweet (all senses).
2. A pleasant disposition; kindness.

   Ruth's overwhelming sweetness made Robert forget about his hopelessly low school grades.

3. The quality of giving pleasure to the mind or senses, pleasantness, agreeableness.
   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene vii:

     The thirſt of raigne and ſweetnes of a crowne, […] / Moou’d me to menage armes againſt thy ſtate.

4. (informal) Term of address for one's sweetheart.
   • 1986, The Smiths (band), Bigmouth Strikes Again (song)

     Sweetness, sweetness, I was only joking when I said / I'd like to smash every tooth in your head.

   • 2011, Kimberly Gibney, Over the Edge, page 66:

     "Hey sweetness," he said. "How was practice?"

• sweetness and light

• sweetness on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• sweetness (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• wetnesses