tiramisu

American  

[tir-uh-mee-soo, ‑mee-soo] / ˌtɪr əˈmi su, ‑miˈsu /

Or tiramisù

noun

1. an Italian dessert with coffee and liquor-soaked layers of sponge cake alternating with mascarpone cheese and chocolate.

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tiramisu British  

/ ˌtiːrəmiːˈsuː /

noun

1. an Italian dessert made with sponge soaked in coffee and Marsala, topped with soft cheese and powdered chocolate

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Etymology

Origin of tiramisu

< Italian tiramisù, equivalent to tira pick + mi me + sù up

Explanation

Tiramisu is a creamy, indulgent Italian dessert flavored with coffee and cocoa powder. If you're making lasagna for your friends, you might want to serve tiramisu for dessert. A good tiramisu is impressive, but it's a no-bake dessert that's not difficult to make. Ladyfinger cookies are soaked in coffee (and sometimes rum or liqueur), then layered with a sweet cream made from mascarpone cheese, and cocoa powder is sprinkled on top. The name is from the Italian phrase tirami su, literally "pick me up," and the dish was probably invented in the 1960s.

Example Sentences

Selvaraju’s Cardamom Orange Tiramisu does exactly that: adds an “Indian flair” to classic tiramisu.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025

Restaurateur Ado Campeol, dubbed "the father of Tiramisu" by Italian media, has died aged 93.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2021

I’m not a massive fan of tiramisu the dessert, but Tiramisu the Android name?

From The Verge • Jul. 27, 2021

Finals day fittingly had an Italian flavour -- orders of dessert Tiramisu saw an uplift in many countries, while pizza outsold burgers, according to Just Eat Takeaway.

From Reuters • Jul. 13, 2021

Nope, just another typical night at Tortino, where chef-owner Noé Canales, a veteran of Tosca, Al Tiramisu and Cafe Milano, sends out big servings of Italian standards.

From Washington Post