toothsome

American  

[tooth-suhm] / ˈtuθ səm /

adjective

1. pleasing to the taste; palatable.

   a toothsome dish.

2. pleasing or desirable, as fame or power.

3. voluptuous; sexually alluring.

   a toothsome blonde.

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toothsome British  

/ ˈtuːθsəm /

adjective

1. of delicious or appetizing appearance, flavour, or smell

2. attractive; alluring

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Other Word Forms

• toothsomely adverb
• toothsomeness noun

Etymology

Origin of toothsome

First recorded in 1545–55; tooth + -some ¹

Explanation

Toothsome describes something that's absolutely delicious, like a bite of your famous flourless chocolate cake. You can use the adjective toothsome when you need a new way to say "yummy" or "scrumptious" or "tasty." It's a word that seems to come up often in restaurant reviews: "The hamburger was overcooked, but the accompanying French fries were quite toothsome." This is the earliest meaning of toothsome, from the 1560's — later it came to also be used for describing a pretty girl.

Example Sentences

It’s a particularly toothsome, sapid red marked by notes of red fruit and spice, and a wonderful match with a wide range of foods.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

Cookbookwise, that means before presenting an assortment of easy-to-make toothsome recipes, there’s some science about the plant to learn.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

In the end, despite the toothsome creatures’ fearsome reputation, it was humans that did the sharks in.

From Slate • Sep. 22, 2023

These toothsome visuals serve a higher narrative purpose too.

From Salon • Aug. 18, 2023

‘Madge—in case you’ve been wondering—is going to marry me ... aren’t you, you toothsome, plump, suet pudding?’

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes