From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbittersweetbit‧ter‧sweet /ˌbɪtəˈswiːt◂ $ -tər-/ adjective 1 EMOTIONALfeelings, memories, or experiences that are bittersweet are happy and sad at the same time bittersweet memories of childhood2 CTCOa taste or smell that is bittersweet is both sweet and bitter at the same time
Examples from the Corpus
bittersweet• August, despite its slow drag and logistical flaws, still holds surprises, sweet and bittersweet.• Being the last of a storied line may be bittersweet.• For Groningen coach Hans Westerhof defeat was bittersweet.• All his life it would loom bittersweet in memory.• One of them had brought a lute-like instrument out of which he plucked some bittersweet notes.• He takes his time, writing a bittersweet piece that encourages the ex-soldier to stop blaming himself for what happened.• He follows Cohen's bittersweet romanticism with a solid dose of Sonic Youth.• Even the one tale that concludes with a victory contains a bittersweet tinge. 