Definition

The process of making something sweet or adding sweetness to it.

Example

The sweetening of the tea made it much more enjoyable.

Conversation

Have you tried that new dessert place downtown?

Not yet, but I heard they have amazing sweetening options.

I think I’ll check it out this weekend!

You should! I bet their pastries are really delicious.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Sweetening → It is formed from "sweet" (from Old English *swēte*, meaning having a pleasant taste) and "-ening" (a suffix indicating the process of making or becoming). The word "sweetening" refers to the process of making something sweet or enhancing its sweetness.

Memory Tip

Think of something that is 'pleasant' ('sweet') becoming 'more' ('-ening') pleasant — that's what sweetening means.

Visually Confused Words