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

Here are the 8 best Trader Joe’s candies guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth this spooky season.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025

A couple has their three-year-old daughter's sweet tooth to thank for winning £524,000 in the EuroMillions.

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2025

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

With a sweet tooth that often leads me to scan the dessert menu before the main course, I find myself calculating exactly how much room to save.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2025

In search of an informant, she worked over Louie’s schoolmates with homemade pie and turned up a soft boy named Hugh, whose sweet tooth was Louie’s undoing.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand