fondness
Americannoun
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the state or quality of being fond.
-
tenderness or affection.
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doting affection.
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a liking or weakness for something.
He has a fondness for sweets.
- Synonyms:
- preference, partiality, predilection
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Archaic. complacent credulity; foolishness.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fondness
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at fond 1, -ness
Explanation
Fondness is love or affection for someone. Your fondness for your funny Spanish teacher might be part of what inspires you to work hard in his class. When you have a fondness for a person, you feel warm or tender toward them. Your sister's fondness for young children probably makes her a great babysitter. You can also have a fondness for a thing: your friend's fondness for expensive shoes could cause her constant financial difficulty, and your fondness for cupcakes might influence you to learn how to bake.
Vocabulary lists containing fondness
Love Letter Words for Valentine's Day
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The River
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The Suffix -ness, Part 2
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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.
Born in 1838 in Cologne and educated in Leipzig and Mannheim, young Max Bruch developed a fondness for the lyrical, intimate romanticism of Schumann and Mendelssohn, and an equally powerful antipathy toward Wagnerian maximalism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Yet Trump has also shown an uncanny fondness for incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, saying that despite turbulent trade relations, he and the veteran leftist, both 80, have "excellent chemistry."
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
His fondness dates back at least to seventh grade, when he says he was recruited to learn Russian in his Maryland public school.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
Cook’s fondness for his alma mater Auburn University, where he earned a degree in industrial engineering, periodically brings him back to campus for special events or football games.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
In order to find some way to avenge my parents, I need to keep his trust and his fondness for me intact.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
