sweetener
n.a substance that makes something more pleasant or enjoyable. In a casual way, it can also mean a small extra thing that makes a situation better.
n.a substance added to food or drink to enhance its flavor. In a figurative sense, it refers to an additional element that improves the quality or appeal of a situation.
“The chef added a natural sweetener to the cake.”
“The manager offered a small bonus as a sweetener to encourage the employees to stay during the busy season.”
“While the base salary was modest, the company provided a generous relocation package as a sweetener to attract top talent from overseas.”
“A common sweetener used in products such as chewing gum, toothpaste, jam, yoghurts and ice-cream has been linked to an increased risk of strokes, heart attacks and death.”
“Some of those changes were also detected in later generations that had never consumed the sweeteners themselves.”
From sweeten + -er (“agent suffix”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.