The word 'tiramisu' is a direct borrowing from Italian, entering English in the late 20th century as the dessert gained international popularity. In Italian, it is a phrase meaning "pick me up" or "cheer me up," composed of the imperative verb form 'tira' (pull, lift), the indirect object pronoun 'mi' (me), and 'su' (up). This name is a metaphorical reference to the dessert's stimulating effects, attributed to its coffee and alcohol content. The term thus traveled from a descriptive Italian colloquialism to a specific culinary term in English, retaining its original spelling and pronunciation.

This is a loanword borrowed as a single lexical unit from Italian. Its internal Italian components are not active morphemes in English.