toffee

American  

[taw-fee, tof-ee] / ˈtɔ fi, ˈtɒf i /

Sometimes toffy

noun

1. a brittle or chewy brown candy made of sugar or molasses boiled down with butter, often mixed with nuts.

2. British. taffy.

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toffee British  

/ ˈtɒfɪ /

noun

1. a sweet made from sugar or treacle boiled with butter, nuts, etc

2. informal (preceded by can't) to be incompetent at a specified activity

   he can't sing for toffee

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Etymology

Origin of toffee

First recorded in 1860–65; the earlier variants toughy, tuffy were first recorded in 1825–30 ; southern British dialect form of original northern British dialect taffy ( def. ); further origin uncertain

Compare meaning

How does toffee compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• toffee vs. caramel

Explanation

Toffee is a hard or brittle candy made from butter and sugar. Some candy bars are made by coating toffee in chocolate. Yum! Toffee is often confused with another candy with nearly the exact same ingredients, taffy. The difference is mainly in the candy-making process: taffy is pulled and stretched until it's soft and chewy. Toffee, on the other hand, won't stick in your teeth like taffy, because it is boiled, shaped, and allowed to harden into a delicious, glossy slab.

Example Sentences

Or classic brown butter chocolate chip cookies, which adds notes of butterscotch and toffee that enhance the cookies’ overall depth.

From Salon • Aug. 16, 2025

Long known as the home of sticky toffee pudding, Cartmel in Cumbria is experiencing its own sweet taste of success.

From BBC • Dec. 21, 2024

Slabs of roast pork, skin as brittle and sweet as toffee and bathed in vinegar garlic sauce at Dominican spots in Washington Heights.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2024

That version of the recipe was a hit, but I’m a much bigger fan of toffee than I am of chocolate, so I wanted to create something that I would love as well.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 12, 2024

“It has turned into a toffee tree. And it’s the loveliest morning.”

From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis