diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 88e314d92508..151c2adf68a2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 ### Fixes
 
 - `[babel-plugin-jest-hoist]` Use `denylist` instead of the deprecated `blacklist` for Babel 8 support ([#14109](https://github.com/jestjs/jest/pull/14109))
+- `[expect]` Check error instance type for `toThrow/toThrowError` ([#14576](https://github.com/jestjs/jest/pull/14576))
 - `[jest-circus]` [**BREAKING**] Prevent false test failures caused by promise rejections handled asynchronously ([#14315](https://github.com/jestjs/jest/pull/14315))
 - `[@jest/expect-utils]` Fix comparison of `DataView` ([#14408](https://github.com/jestjs/jest/pull/14408))
 - `[jest-leak-detector]` Make leak-detector more aggressive when running GC ([#14526](https://github.com/jestjs/jest/pull/14526))
diff --git a/packages/expect/src/__tests__/toThrowMatchers.test.ts b/packages/expect/src/__tests__/toThrowMatchers.test.ts
index 7384bf89ebac..2a1ea9a638ea 100644
--- a/packages/expect/src/__tests__/toThrowMatchers.test.ts
+++ b/packages/expect/src/__tests__/toThrowMatchers.test.ts
@@ -169,10 +169,16 @@ describe.each(['toThrowError', 'toThrow'] as const)('%s', toThrow => {
       jestExpect(() => {
         throw new Err();
       })[toThrow](CustomError);
+      jestExpect(() => {
+        throw new SubErr();
+      })[toThrow](new SubErr());
       jestExpect(() => {
         throw new Err();
       }).not[toThrow](Err2);
       jestExpect(() => {}).not[toThrow](Err);
+      jestExpect(() => {
+        throw new SubErr();
+      }).not[toThrow](new SubSubErr());
     });
 
     test('did not throw at all', () => {
diff --git a/packages/expect/src/toThrowMatchers.ts b/packages/expect/src/toThrowMatchers.ts
index 43799cddc7de..368fa6d67a40 100644
--- a/packages/expect/src/toThrowMatchers.ts
+++ b/packages/expect/src/toThrowMatchers.ts
@@ -228,10 +228,17 @@ const toThrowExpectedObject = (
   const expectedMessageAndCause = createMessageAndCause(expected);
   const thrownMessageAndCause =
     thrown === null ? null : createMessageAndCause(thrown.value);
+  const isCompareErrorInstance = thrown?.isError && expected instanceof Error;
+  const isExpectedCustomErrorInstance =
+    expected.constructor.name !== Error.name;
+
   const pass =
     thrown !== null &&
     thrown.message === expected.message &&
-    thrownMessageAndCause === expectedMessageAndCause;
+    thrownMessageAndCause === expectedMessageAndCause &&
+    (!isCompareErrorInstance ||
+      !isExpectedCustomErrorInstance ||
+      thrown.value instanceof expected.constructor);
 
   const message = pass
     ? () =>