1. Tinged with sadness
   "a movie with a bittersweet ending"
    
2. Having a taste that is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness
   "She preferred bittersweet chocolate for baking";
   - semisweet

1. A climbing perennial vine with purple flowers and poisonous red berries, native to Europe and Asia
   "bittersweet often invades gardens and hedgerows";
   - bittersweet nightshade, climbing nightshade, poisonous nightshade, woody nightshade, Solanum dulcamara
    
2. Twining shrub of North America having yellow capsules enclosing scarlet seeds
   "The bittersweet vine decorated the autumn fence with its bright yellow and scarlet fruits"; "The American bittersweet vine decorated the autumn fence with its bright yellow and scarlet fruits"; "The climbing bittersweet vine decorated the autumn fence with its bright yellow and scarlet fruits"; "The false bittersweet vine decorated the autumn fence with its bright yellow and scarlet fruits"; "The shrubby bittersweet vine decorated the autumn fence with its bright yellow and scarlet fruits";
   - American bittersweet, climbing bittersweet, false bittersweet, staff vine, waxwork, shrubby bittersweet, Celastrus scandens

Derived forms: bittersweets

See also: sad, tasty

Type of: nightshade, vine

Part of: Celastrus, genus Celastrus, genus Solanum, Solanum

Encyclopedia: Bittersweet