aficionado
Americannoun
noun
-
an ardent supporter or devotee
a jazz aficionado
-
a devotee of bullfighting
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of aficionado
First recorded in 1835–45; from Spanish: literally, “amateur,” past participle -ado ( see -ate 1) of aficionar “to engender affection,” equivalent to afición affection 1 + -ar infinitive suffix
Explanation
If you really like something and make it your business to study up on its history and characteristics, you could be called an aficionado of that subject. This sort of funny-looking word might seem like it needs a second “f,” but it really doesn’t, and you should hold out on the temptation to add another one. (The single “f” spelling is a result of the word’s Spanish heritage.) The word aficionado implies serious study and fervent interest, but you can think of it as just a fancy way to say fan. You could call yourself a football aficionado, for example, if you think that sounds more impressive than just saying you’re a football fan.
Vocabulary lists containing aficionado
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the March/April 2000 issue of Cigar Aficionado, Buckley called Mr. Trump a “narcissist.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Aficionado began working for West in October 2022 as a project manager.
From Salon • Nov. 15, 2024
“I’m certainly working harder now than ever. Certain businesses, you kind of build them, pass them on or you exit,” he told Cigar Aficionado.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2023
It has received the best cigar-of-the-year prize, awarded by the magazine Cigar Aficionado, three times since 2004.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 15, 2017
But as Cigar Aficionado pointed out, the 45-cent flat tax would most likely raise the cost of cheaper cigars while actually reducing the current tax on premium brands.
From New York Times • Jan. 27, 2017
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
