sweet tooth

American  

noun

1. a liking or craving for candy and other sweets.

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sweet tooth British  

noun

1. a strong liking for sweet foods

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sweet tooth Idioms  

1. A love for sugary foods, as in You can always please Nell with cake or ice cream; she has a big sweet tooth. This expression dates from the late 1300s, although it then referred not only to sweets but other delicacies as well.

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Etymology

Origin of sweet tooth

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sweet tooth

But orders started falling when customers lost their sweet tooth as the price of a bar of chocolate rose by up to 50 percent.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

A greedy beaver's sweet tooth led to him being captured twice by rangers monitoring the animals' health.

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026

Yes, it’s a bit of a push from your hood — don’t go during rush hour — but it’s worth the trek, especially if you have a sweet tooth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2025

My grandmother supplied my sweet tooth with cookies and chocolate at every visit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025

“Let me try to explain it again,” Milo offered with growing weariness and exasperation, jerking his thumb toward the thief with the sweet tooth, still grinning beside him.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller