Meanings
singular sweet nothing
- idiomaticpluralplural normallyInsubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo, or seduce.
[T]he facts, to make matters worse, were made public with the usual affectionate letters that passed between them, full of sweet nothings.
1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 16]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC2 more examples
Hearing such words as these, in the sweetest, tenderest voice that ever caressed a lover's senses, Basil knew not how to word all that was in his heart. . . . Side by side, forgetful of all but their recovered peace, they talked sweet nothings.
1904, George Gissing, chapter 28, in VeranildaIt is difficult to know how accurate this portrait is, and how much of it consists of sweet nothings whispered into the author's ear by loyal retainers.
2004 April 25, Joe Klein, “Does Bush Really Get Us?”, in Time, archived from the original on 03 Nov 2010
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 甜蜜情話 /甜蜜情话, 甜言蜜語 /甜言蜜语
- 甜蜜情話 /甜蜜情话 (tiánmì qínghuà)insubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo or seduce
- 甜言蜜語 /甜言蜜语 (tiányánmìyǔ)insubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo or seduce
Esperanto paroli dolĉe en la orelon
- paroli dolĉe en la oreloninsubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo or seduce
Finnish hempeät sanat
- hempeät sanatinsubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo or seduce
French mots doux, mots tendres
- mots douxinsubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo or seduce
- mots tendresinsubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo or seduce
German Zärtlichkeiten
- Zärtlichkeiteninsubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo or seduce
Hungarian aranyos semmiségek
- aranyos semmiségekinsubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo or seduce
Swedish små söta ord
- små söta ordinsubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo or seduce
Cite this entry
sweet nothings. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sweet%20nothings
“sweet nothings.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sweet%20nothings. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sweet nothings,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sweet%20nothings.
Source: sweet nothings on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.