chocolate-box

American

[chaw-kuh-lit-boks, chok-uh-, chawk-lit-, chok-] / ˈtʃɔ kə lɪtˌbɒks, ˈtʃɒk ə-, ˈtʃɔk lɪt-, ˈtʃɒk- /

adjective

excessively decorative and sentimental, as the pictures or designs on some boxes of chocolate candy; prettified.

decorous, chocolate-box paintings of Victorian garden parties.

chocolate-box British

noun

informal (modifier) sentimentally pretty or appealing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of chocolate-box

First recorded in 1890–95

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.

Be sure to end the meal with the banana pagoda, a playful dessert presented in a chocolate box that’s smashed tableside for a bit of theatrical flair.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

Chris Foggin, the film's director, described Knaresborough as the ideal "chocolate box" location for the movie.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2025

So last week the company announced that to comply with Swiss law, the image of the Matterhorn and the national flag will be removed from the chocolate box.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2023

After 10 days, everyone was asked to send a photo of their chocolate box.

From New York Times • Jan. 10, 2022

I saw images of myself and my brothers reaching one more time for the Silvana chocolate box Mother always hid.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat

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