sweet tooth

American

noun

a liking or craving for candy and other sweets.

sweet tooth British

noun

a strong liking for sweet foods

"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

sweet tooth Idioms

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.

Etymology

Origin of sweet tooth

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

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.

It’s just the right level of sweetness and it doesn’t assault your sweet tooth.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026

Candy Warehouse caters to an array of establishments, including restaurants, theme parks, healthcare facilities, candy shops and hotels, as well as individuals with a sweet tooth.

From Salon • Oct. 29, 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

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

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