Sweet describes a taste like sugar or honey: the pleasant flavor you experience when you bite into a ripe strawberry, lick a lollipop, or eat a chocolate chip cookie. Your tongue has special receptors that detect sweetness, one of the five basic tastes (along with salty, sour, bitter, and umami).

When food tastes sweet, it usually contains natural or added sugars. Fruits like watermelon and peaches are naturally sweet because they contain fructose. Candy and soda are sweet because manufacturers add sugar or artificial sweeteners. Some people have a sweet tooth, meaning they especially love sweet foods and desserts.

The word also describes people or actions that are kind, thoughtful, or endearing. A sweet gesture might be when your friend saves you a seat at lunch, or when your little sister draws you a picture. Someone with a sweet personality is gentle and considerate. You might say “that's so sweet of you” when someone does something thoughtful.

Less commonly, sweet can describe certain sounds or smells. A violin might produce sweet notes, meaning pleasant and melodious tones. The sweet smell of fresh flowers or baking bread creates a similar sense of pleasure, since smell and taste are closely connected senses.