fond

¹ American  

[fond] / fɒnd /

adjective

fonder, fondest

1. having a liking or affection for (usually followed byof ).

   to be fond of animals.

2. loving; affectionate.

   to give someone a fond look.

3. excessively tender or overindulgent; doting.

   a fond parent.

4. cherished with strong or unreasoning feeling.

   to nourish fond hopes of becoming president.

5. Archaic. foolish or silly.

6. Archaic. foolishly credulous or trusting.

   Synonyms:

   gullible

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fond ² American  

[fond, fawn] / fɒnd, fɔ̃ /

noun

plural

fonds

1. a background or groundwork, especially of lace.

2. Obsolete. fund; stock.

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fond ¹ British  

/ fɒnd /

adjective

1. predisposed (to); having a liking (for)

2. loving; tender

   a fond embrace

3. indulgent; doting

   a fond mother

4. (of hopes, wishes, etc) cherished but unlikely to be realized

   he had fond hopes of starting his own business

5. archaic

   1. foolish

   2. credulous

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fond ² British  

/ fɔ̃, fɒnd /

noun

1. the background of a design, as in lace

2. obsolete fund; stock

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Other Word Forms

• fondly adverb
• fondness noun

Etymology

Origin of fond¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fond, fonned “foolish, silly” (past participle of fonnen “to be foolish”

Origin of fond²

First recorded in 1655–65; from French; fund

Example Sentences

"My fondest memories are of him travelling on the buses wherever he went."

From BBC

Mr. Greene’s story brought back fond memories of my time as a cash-starved student in Boston in the 1950s.

From The Wall Street Journal

He said: "Ever since I was a kid, I've always been fond of animals and unfortunately some animals are treated badly."

From BBC

Like the former secretary, Mullin has no background in law enforcement or immigration policy, but he’s fond of pretending to be a cowboy or a war veteran.

From Salon

Mrs. Kuen stroked the wood like a fond mother ruffling her child’s hair.

From Literature

Related Words

• affectionate
• enamored
• indulgent
• sentimental
• sympathetic