toffee

American  

[taw-fee, tof-ee] / ˈtɔ fi, ˈtɒf i /

Sometimes toffy

noun

1. a brittle or chewy brown candy made of sugar or molasses boiled down with butter, often mixed with nuts.

2. British. taffy.

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toffee British  

/ ˈtɒfɪ /

noun

1. a sweet made from sugar or treacle boiled with butter, nuts, etc

2. informal (preceded by can't) to be incompetent at a specified activity

   he can't sing for toffee

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Etymology

Origin of toffee

First recorded in 1860–65; the earlier variants toughy, tuffy were first recorded in 1825–30 ; southern British dialect form of original northern British dialect taffy ( def. ); further origin uncertain

Compare meaning

How does toffee compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• toffee vs. caramel

Example Sentences

But it’s not evidence that moral standards are higher in the land of sticky toffee pudding and the BBC Proms.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

Long known as the home of sticky toffee pudding, Cartmel in Cumbria is experiencing its own sweet taste of success.

From BBC • Dec. 21, 2024

Slabs of roast pork, skin as brittle and sweet as toffee and bathed in vinegar garlic sauce at Dominican spots in Washington Heights.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2024

By 1902, when he was 19, Mars was selling toffee chips across rural Minnesota and married his first wife, Ethel.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 9, 2023

He opened a foil-wrapped toffee and said, “Are you alone?”

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini