gourmet
Americannoun
adjective
-
of or characteristic of a gourmet, especially in involving or purporting to involve high-quality or exotic ingredients and skilled preparation.
gourmet meals; gourmet cooking.
-
elaborately equipped for the preparation of fancy, specialized, or exotic meals.
a gourmet kitchen.
noun
Etymology
Origin of gourmet
1810–20; < French; Old French gromet, grommes valet (especially of a wine merchant)
Explanation
That guy over there correctly identifying the dozen spices used in the meal he's eating? He’s likely a gourmet, someone who knows a lot about fine food. There are gourmets and then there are foodies. Both are food enthusiasts who live to eat. A gourmet, pronounced like the French word that is its double: "gor-MAY," is more likely to go for the most refined dining experience, created by a chef who trained in Europe. A foodie, on the other hand, might take you to the best burrito place — because their guacamole tastes the best — then stop by the farmers' market to see if the first of the asparagus crop has arrived.
Vocabulary lists containing gourmet
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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Mardi Gras: Food
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English Words Derived from French, List 7
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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.
Anne Robinson, the owner of Scottish Gourmet in Greensboro, N.C., said on that call that she had changed a lot of the gift packaging for the cookies, candies, jams and other items she assembles.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026
Inspired by its Gourmet Jelly Beans, TJ’s Sour Jelly Beans burst into a beautiful medley of fruity and extremely tart flavors once bitten into.
From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025
I met my friend Alan almost 20 years ago, when we were both working at Gourmet magazine.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025
"Shortbread is America's second favourite cookie, after chocolate chip," says Anne Robinson, owner of Scottish Gourmet USA, a small business in North Carolina.
From BBC • Aug. 18, 2025
Say it’s not like one a my cakes, it’s a fancy recipe she got out the Gourmet magazine.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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.
