sweet tooth

noun

A liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets.

“He eats a healthy diet most of the time, but has a sweet tooth when it comes to candy.”

Meanings

nounsweet tooth (plural sweet tooths)

plural sweet tooths

  1. idiomaticsingularA liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets.

    He eats a healthy diet most of the time, but has a sweet tooth when it comes to candy.

  2. countableidiomaticSomeone with a liking for sweet foods.
  3. A preference, especially for a kind of food.

    But my grandmother had, in my father's words, a "sweet tooth” for meat.

    2010, Tony Ardizzone, The Whale Chaser: A Novel, page 101
    5 more examples

    the python has a sweet tooth for rats and mice and the sweet tooth of this particular snake is on edge for a square meal.

    1913, Jewett Castello Gilson, Wealth of the World's Waste Places, and Oceania, page 298

    Prowlers are on the loose in suburban Denver. Description: pointy ears, bushy tails and a sweet tooth for poodle and cat.

    2007 May 30, Joey Bunch, “Suburban pet peeve: coyotes”, in The Denver Post

    In the same way I developed a craving for doughnuts, my sweet tooth for God's Word developed by repetition.

    2013, Kim Newlen, The One Year Sweet and Simple Moments with God Devotional, page 169

    ".... She had a sweet tooth for booze." "Did she have a sweet tooth for drugs?"

    2014, John Maley, A Little Murder in Tucson, page 50

    I have high hopes though, because mother always did have a sweet tooth for rather nice men, you see father was tremendously attractive.

    2022, Anthony M. Ludovici, Too Old for Dolls: A Novel

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Translations

Catalan llaminer, llépol
  • llaminersomeone with a liking for sweet foods
  • llépolsomeone with a liking for sweet foods
Chinese Mandarin 愛吃甜食 /爱吃甜食
  • 愛吃甜食 /爱吃甜食 (ài chī tiánshí)someone with a liking for sweet foods
Dutch voorliefde voor zoet, liefhebber van zoet
  • voorliefde voor zoeta liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
  • liefhebber van zoetsomeone with a liking for sweet foods
  • zoetekauwsomeone with a liking for sweet foods
Estonian maias, magusahammas
  • maiasa liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
  • magusahammasa liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
  • mesilemba liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
  • magusa armastajaa liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
  • maiasmokksomeone with a liking for sweet foods
  • maiassomeone with a liking for sweet foods
  • mesihammassomeone with a liking for sweet foods
  • hele timpnarmikHydnum repandum
Finnish karkkihammas, perso makealle
  • karkkihammasa liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
  • perso makeallesomeone with a liking for sweet foods
  • vaaleaorakasHydnum repandum
French bec sucré, bec sucré
  • bec sucréa liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
  • bec sucrésomeone with a liking for sweet foods
German Naschkatze, Schlecker
  • Naschkatzesomeone with a liking for sweet foods
  • Schleckersomeone with a liking for sweet foods
  • Schleckerinsomeone with a liking for sweet foods
Greek γλυκατζής, γλυκατζού
  • γλυκατζής (glykatzís)someone with a liking for sweet foods
  • γλυκατζού (glykatzoú)someone with a liking for sweet foods
Hungarian édesszájúság, édesszájú
  • édesszájúsága liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
  • édesszájúsomeone with a liking for sweet foods
Icelandic nammigrís, sælgætisgrís
  • nammigríssomeone with a liking for sweet foods
  • sælgætisgríssomeone with a liking for sweet foods
Japanese 甘党
  • 甘党 (amatō)someone with a liking for sweet foods
Norwegian søtmons
  • søtmonssomeone with a liking for sweet foods
Norwegian Bokmål piggsopp
  • piggsoppHydnum repandum
Polish słabość do słodyczy, osoba ze słabością do słodyczy
  • słabość do słodyczya liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
  • osoba ze słabością do słodyczysomeone with a liking for sweet foods
  • kolczak obłączastyHydnum repandum
Portuguese formiguinha, formiguinha
  • formiguinhaa liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
  • formiguinhasomeone with a liking for sweet foods
  • gulososomeone with a liking for sweet foods
Russian сладкое́жка, сластёна
  • сладкое́жка (sladkojéžka)someone with a liking for sweet foods
  • сластёна (slastjóna)someone with a liking for sweet foods
Scottish Gaelic corrag mhilis, smealas
  • corrag mhilisa liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
  • smealasa liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
Spanish goloso
  • golososomeone with a liking for sweet foods
Swedish gottegris
  • gottegrissomeone with a liking for sweet foods
Welsh dant melys
  • dant melysa liking for foods that are sweet; a weakness for sweets
Cite this entry
APA

sweet tooth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sweet%20tooth

MLA

“sweet tooth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sweet%20tooth. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sweet tooth,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sweet%20tooth.

Source: sweet tooth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.