sweets
[swˈits] /ˈswēt How to pronounce sweet (audio)/ (ame, mw)
sweets — noun
1. small pieces of candy or similar sugar-based treats that you eat one by one.
small pieces of candy or similar sugar-based treats that you eat one by one.
Andrés kept a bag of sweets in his desk for long meetings.
a bag of sweets
The children shared fruit sweets while they waited for the train.
Hana bought mint sweets at the pharmacy for her sore throat.
A box of orange sweets sat beside the hotel reception desk.
- candy
the usual American English word
- confectionery
more formal and often used for the category or business
文法句型
a bag / box of sweets
buy sweets for + reason
用法筆記
Use this sense for separate pieces you can count or put in a bag or box. American English usually says candy here.
常見錯誤
2. foods that contain plenty of sugar, especially in conversations about diet, teet
foods that contain plenty of sugar, especially in conversations about diet, teeth, or children.
Gabriel tries not to eat too many sweets before football practice.
eat too many sweets
The dentist asked Piotr to cut down on sweets and fizzy drinks.
cut down on sweets
During exam week, Élise lived on coffee, toast, and cheap sweets.
Zayd keeps sweets on a high shelf away from the children.
- sweet food
close in meaning but less idiomatic in everyday speech
- treats
broader; can include snacks that are not sugary
- savories
foods that are salty rather than sweet
文法句型
eat too many sweets
cut down on sweets
用法筆記
This sense treats sweets as a general type of unhealthy or enjoyable food, not as individual pieces. It is common in advice about teeth, diet, and children.
3. the sweet dish eaten after the main part of a meal; dessert.
the sweet dish eaten after the main part of a meal; dessert.
At school today, sweets were apple pie and warm custard.
sweets were + dish
Lien skipped sweets because she was already full after lunch.
The menu includes coffee or sweets after the main course.
On Sundays, Folake's family usually has fruit salad for sweets.
- main course
the savoury part of the meal eaten before sweets
文法句型
have sweets after + meal
for sweets
用法筆記
This British sense means the sweet course of a meal. American English usually says dessert, and British English also often uses pudding in everyday speech.