sweetener
sweetener — noun
1. a chemical substance used to add a sweet taste to food or drinks without the cal
a chemical substance used to add a sweet taste to food or drinks without the calories or sugar of natural sweeteners
Naoko adds a liquid sweetener to her coffee instead of sugar to cut calories.
collocation: liquid sweetener
Many diet drinks get their sweet taste from artificial sweeteners rather than sugar.
collocation: artificial sweetener
The health food store sells a natural sweetener made from the stevia plant.
Kofi prefers to buy yoghurt with no artificial sweeteners added.
Heloísa carries a packet of sweetener for cafés without a sugar-free option.
- sugar substitute
broader term covering both artificial and natural alternatives
- artificial sweetener
specifically refers to chemically produced types such as aspartame or saccharin
- sugar
natural sweetener with calories, not a substitute
文法句型
sweetener (uncountable) for general substance
a sweetener (countable) for a specific product or tablet
用法筆記
Often uncountable when referring to the substance in general ('Sweetener is widely used in diet products'), but countable when referring to specific products or individual packets ('She added two sweeteners to her tea').
常見錯誤
❗ 'This sweetener contains 100% natural sugar' ✅ 'This sweetener contains no sugar but tastes just as sweet.' — Sweeteners are sugar substitutes; they do not contain sugar as their primary ingredient.
2. something extra offered to encourage someone to accept a deal, take a job, or ag
something extra offered to encourage someone to accept a deal, take a job, or agree to a request
The company offered free gym membership as a sweetener to attract skilled engineers.
pattern: as a sweetener
Liam agreed to work weekends after the boss added a bonus as a sweetener.
The landlord offered free parking as a sweetener to rent the apartment quickly.
Management offered extra leave as a sweetener for the new contract.
- inducement
more formal; often used in legal or contractual language
- incentive
broader and more neutral; covers any motivating factor
- enticement
emphasises the tempting quality of the offer
- perk
informal; extra benefit of a job, not necessarily used to persuade
- disincentive
something that discourages action rather than encouraging it
文法句型
sweetener as a phrase in 'as a sweetener'
offer/provide [something] as a sweetener
用法筆記
Typically appears in the singular and follows the pattern 'as a sweetener' introducing what was offered. The sweetener is usually a relatively minor extra benefit added to a main offer rather than the offer itself.
常見錯誤
❗ 'The sweetener was very generous.' ✅ 'Free parking was a generous sweetener added to the job offer.' — Always specify what the sweetener is; avoid using the word alone as a vague noun.
❗ 'The company used a sweetener to hire him' (sounds informal). ✅ 'The company offered a relocation bonus as a sweetener.' — Pair 'sweetener' with a concrete benefit.
3. a sum of money or a present handed over in secret to influence a person’s decisi
a sum of money or a present handed over in secret to influence a person’s decision or action, typically in an unlawful or unethical manner
Investigators found that the contractor paid a sweetener to win the school building project.
pattern: pay a sweetener to [someone]
The minister was accused of accepting sweeteners from companies that wanted government contracts.
Noor refused the sweetener and immediately reported the offer to her supervisor.
The construction company allegedly paid sweeteners to several city officials to secure building permits.
文法句型
pay/offer a sweetener to someone
accept/receive a sweetener
用法筆記
Strongly negative connotation — not used for innocent gifts or legitimate bonuses. The term implies a secret exchange intended to influence a decision unethically. Frequently encountered in journalism and legal reporting.
常見錯誤
❗ 'She gave her friend a sweetener to thank her for the help.' ✅ 'She gave her friend a small gift to thank her for the help.' — 'Sweetener' in this sense implies dishonest intent; do not use it for innocent gift-giving.