Definition
n. a sweet dish that you eat at the end of a meal.
n. the final course of a meal, usually consisting of sweet confections, fruit, or cheese.
Examples
“We had chocolate cake for dessert.”
“After finishing their pasta, the guests were offered a choice of fresh fruit or lemon tart for dessert.”
“The restaurant is famous for its elaborate dessert menu, which features traditional pastries alongside modern interpretations of classic sweets.”
Examples
simple
“We had chocolate cake for dessert.”
contextual
“After finishing their pasta, the guests were offered a choice of fresh fruit or lemon tart for dessert.”
complex
“The restaurant is famous for its elaborate dessert menu, which features traditional pastries alongside modern interpretations of classic sweets.”
Usage
Can be used as both a countable and uncountable noun.
Teaching tip
In British English, 'pudding' or 'sweet' are often used as informal synonyms for this course.
Pitfall
The Sahara is a large dessert.
The Sahara is a large desert.
Do not confuse 'dessert' (sweet food) with 'desert' (dry land). Remember that you want two helpings of dessert, so it has two 's's.
Confusables
Dessert is the sweet course at the end of a meal, while a desert is a dry, sandy region with little water.
RememberDessert has two S's because you want a Second Serving.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French dessert, from desservir (“disserve”), from dés- (“dis-”) and servir (“serve”), thus literally meaning “removal of what has been served”. Note: It was erroneously suggested (e.g. in "Glucose syrups: Technology and Applications" (Peter Hull, 2010)) that the word is derived from the name of Benjamin Delessert, the inventor of beet sugar. However, the term predates him by at least a century.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/dessert
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR