sweetener
sweetener — 名詞
1. a chemical substance used to add a sweet taste to food or drinks without the cal
代糖
用來代替糖的甜味物質
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.
Naoko 在咖啡裡加液體代糖代替砂糖，以減少熱量攝取。
collocation: liquid sweetener
Many diet drinks get their sweet taste from artificial sweeteners rather than sugar.
許多低卡飲料的甜味來自人工代糖，而不是糖。
collocation: artificial sweetener
The health food store sells a natural sweetener made from the stevia plant.
那間健康食品店販售一種從甜葉菊葉子提煉的天然代糖。
Kofi prefers to buy yoghurt with no artificial sweeteners added.
Kofi 比較喜歡買沒有添加人工代糖的優格。
Heloísa carries a packet of sweetener for cafés without a sugar-free option.
Heloísa 隨身攜帶一包代糖，以備咖啡店沒有無糖選項時使用。
- 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
誘因；甜頭
額外提供以鼓勵對方接受的條件
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.
該公司提供免費健身房會員作為誘因，以吸引優秀工程師。
pattern: as a sweetener
Liam agreed to work weekends after the boss added a bonus as a sweetener.
Liam 同意週末加班，因為主管加了一筆獎金作為甜頭。
The landlord offered free parking as a sweetener to rent the apartment quickly.
房東提供免費停車作為誘因，希望公寓能趕快租出去。
Management offered extra leave as a sweetener for the new contract.
管理階層提供額外休假作為新合約的誘因。
- 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
賄賂；暗盤
私下給予以求不當決定
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.
調查人員發現承包商支付了賄賂，以取得學校建案。
pattern: pay a sweetener to [someone]
The minister was accused of accepting sweeteners from companies that wanted government contracts.
該部長被指控收受想要取得政府合約的公司所提供的好處。
Noor refused the sweetener and immediately reported the offer to her supervisor.
Noor 拒絕了那筆暗盤，並立即向上司報告此事。
The construction company allegedly paid sweeteners to several city officials to secure building permits.
該營造公司涉嫌向多名市政府官員支付賄賂，以取得建照。
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.