mouth-watering

American

[mouth-waw-ter-ing, -wot-er-] / ˈmaʊθˌwɔ tər ɪŋ, -ˌwɒt ər- /

adjective

very appetizing in appearance, aroma, or description.

a mouth-watering dessert.

Etymology

Origin of mouth-watering

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Women's Super League is guaranteed at least one representative in the last four, with defending champions Arsenal taking on Chelsea in a mouth-watering contest.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Thursday's meeting at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, in front of loud partisan support for the hosts, should be mouth-watering.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

The restaurant’s ambitious, maximized layering of mouth-watering ingredients has been hailed by L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

A mouth-watering quarter-finals line-up begins on Friday when Senegal face Mali and Cameroon tackle hosts Morocco.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

On the plates, Ivy saw slices of ham and melted cheese between slices of thick multi-grain bread, mouth-watering kettle-cooked potato chips on the side.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023