What does toothy mean?
Toothy is an English adjective meaning that teeth are visibly prominent, especially in a broad smile or grin. It is especially common in expressions such as “toothy grin,” where it adds a concrete, often humorous description to an otherwise cheerful expression. It can suggest friendliness or exuberance, but it may also draw attention to unusually large, protruding, or uneven teeth and can therefore sound teasing or mildly critical when applied to a person. Although the word can describe an animal, such as a crocodile, its everyday use usually concerns human facial expressions. The word belongs to the productive family of “tooth,” joining the base noun to the suffix “-y.” It is recognizable in British and American English and is more descriptive than formal. In careful or neutral prose, “broad smile showing the teeth” can express the same observation without the colorful, potentially derisive undertone that “toothy” may carry.
adjectiveHaving or displaying conspicuous teeth, especially in a broad smile or grin.
- Having or displaying conspicuous teeth, especially in a broad smile or grin.
- Broadly smiling with the teeth showing.
"He responded with a broad, toothy grin."
"The film star broke into a toothy grin for the cameras."
"A cartoon crocodile wore an exaggeratedly toothy expression."
A toothy smile puts the grin under a spotlight, whether the effect is charming or comically conspicuous.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does toothy come from?
Toothy is an English formation composed of the noun “tooth” and the adjectival suffix “-y.” The base word descends from Old English tōþ and has Germanic relatives that include German Zahn and Dutch tand. The derived adjective belongs to the familiar English family of tooth, toothache, toothless, and toothsome.
Related word forms
How toothy is actually used
Usually informal and descriptive. It can suggest cheerful exuberance, especially in a smile, but it may also sound teasing or mildly critical when emphasizing large, protruding, or uneven teeth.
Easily confused with toothy
Gap-toothed specifically describes teeth with spaces between them, whereas toothy means that the teeth are conspicuous, especially during a broad smile.