What does "bittersweet" mean? It seems that two antonyms are combined to make one word, what are the other words that have similar structure of this one?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Bittersweet" here describes feeling both happy and sad about a situation. "Bittersweet" can also describe something that tastes both bitter and sweet, like dark chocolate. "Bittersweet" is considered an "oxymoron", which is a word or term made of two opposite words. Examples of other oxymorons are "deafening silence", "amazingly awful" and "living dead". Most oxymorons are short phrases, "bittersweet" is the only commonly used oxymoron that is one word. Ex: Moving was bittersweet because I missed my old friends, but I was excited to make new friends. Ex: Graduation was bittersweet because I was happy to finish college, but was sad that it was over.

How do native speakers use this expression?

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Popular Q&As

11/16

1
Why is "ing" put after "to" here?
This sentence is in present progressive tense and so the verb is put in -ing form to indicate that the action is going to continue on. The progressive tense is not generally used after the preposition "to" in a sentence except after the phrase "close to". Ex: I was so close to falling asleep when the dog started barking. Ex: You are so close to winning the race - keep going!

2
What does "Grotto" mean?
A "grotto" is a noun that means a cave, usually in a garden or park. Here, it's just used as a name! Although there is a cave in The Little Mermaid, so maybe he was thinking of that. Ex: Have you seen the grotto down at the park? It's quite picturesque. Ex: There is a shrine called "The Grotto" in Oregon, USA.

3
What does "mess up" mean? and what else can I use instead of "mess up"?
"Mess up" means "make mistakes" or "ruin", depending on the context. You can say "make mistakes" instead of "mess up" when referring to a person's actions, and use "ruin" when something physical is being distorted. Ex: I always make mistakes when taking tests! Ex: I ruined my shoes when I stepped in mud. Ex: The wind messed up my hair. Ex: It won't be too long until the new guy messes up.

4
Is it ok to say "pull off the truck" instead of "pull the track off"?
Technically, you can say "pull off the truck" here instead of "pull the truck off." However, native speakers tend to use consistent grammar patterns when speaking. He says "grab a winch" here [verb + article + noun], so it sounds more natural to say "pull the truck off," with the article following the verb. Ex: Grab a plate and serve the food. [Verb + article + noun] Ex: Take a basket and select some items. [Verb + article/determiner + noun]

5
What does "shaman" mean?
A "shaman" is someone who is believed to be able to communicate with spirits or nature. In tribal cultures, the "shaman" is usually the spiritual/religious center of the community and is someone the other tribe members ask for wisdom and answers to their questions about life. Ex: When they don't know what to do, the members of the tribe ask the shaman. Ex: It is said that this tribe's shaman can talk to animals and guides the spirits of the dead to the afterlife.

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