sweet nothings

English

Pronunciation

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Noun

Examples
I love the way your eyes glimmer in the candlelight

sweet nothings pl (normally plural, singular sweet nothing)

1. (idiomatic) Insubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo, or seduce.
   • 1904, George Gissing, chapter 28, in Veranilda:

     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.

   • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 16]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:

     [T]he facts, to make matters worse, were made public with the usual affectionate letters that passed between them, full of sweet nothings.

   • 2004 April 25, Joe Klein, “Does Bush Really Get Us?”, in Time‎, archived from the original on 3 November 2010:

     It 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.

Usage notes

• Often used in an expression of the form: to whisper sweet nothings into someone's ear.

Translations

insubstantial or romantic words that are only meant to flatter, woo or seduce

Chinese: Mandarin: (between lovers) 甜蜜情話 / 甜蜜情话 (tiánmì qínghuà), (for flattery) 甜言蜜語 / 甜言蜜语 (zh) (tiányánmìyǔ) Esperanto: paroli dolĉe en la orelon Finnish: hempeät sanat French: mots doux m pl, mots tendres m pl German: Zärtlichkeiten (de) pl Hungarian: aranyos semmiségek Russian: please add this translation if you can Swedish: små söta ord n pl (literally “small sweet words”)