fond
1 Americanadjective
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having a liking or affection for (usually followed byof ).
to be fond of animals.
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loving; affectionate.
to give someone a fond look.
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excessively tender or overindulgent; doting.
a fond parent.
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cherished with strong or unreasoning feeling.
to nourish fond hopes of becoming president.
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Archaic. foolish or silly.
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Archaic. foolishly credulous or trusting.
- Synonyms:
- gullible
adjective
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predisposed (to); having a liking (for)
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loving; tender
a fond embrace
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indulgent; doting
a fond mother
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(of hopes, wishes, etc) cherished but unlikely to be realized
he had fond hopes of starting his own business
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archaic
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foolish
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credulous
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noun
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the background of a design, as in lace
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obsolete fund; stock
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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; see origin at fund
Explanation
To be fond of something is to like it. Sports fans are fond of sports. Oddly, this adjective can also mean foolish and silly. We're all fond of some things and people: the things and people we like. Being fond can mean anything from liking something a little ("I'm fond of that band") to be extremely, almost absurdly interested in something ("He's a little too fond of football"). This word sometimes implies foolishness and absurdity: almost like you love something so much that you've lost your mind. But usually being fond is a good thing: it just means you enjoy something.
Vocabulary lists containing fond
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 3
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We Were Liars
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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.
Now, he dons a sturgeon costume and gets speared by children during the Sturgeon Spectacular in nearby Fond du Lac.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
Even the country stage featured Orville Peck, a gay country artist, who was joined by Willie Nelson for a rendition of "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other."
From Salon • Oct. 16, 2024
Joshua Aistrop, from Sheffield, recalls: "Fond memories include watching Dragon Ball Super: Broly in cinemas and actively participating in organising and being a panellist at Saiyacon, the UK's inaugural Dragon Ball convention."
From BBC • Mar. 8, 2024
Fond memories of listening to Parton’s music together had led Chiquis to create the cumbia version in the first place.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 29, 2024
Fond of costumes, Sandy appeared wearing a high-altitude climbing suit over her evening dress, complemented by mountaineering boots, crampons, ice ax, and a bandolier of carabiners.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
