fond
1 Americanadjective
-
fonder,
comparative
-
fondest
superlative
-
having a liking or affection for (usually followed byof ).
to be fond of animals.
-
loving; affectionate.
to give someone a fond look.
-
excessively tender or overindulgent; doting.
a fond parent.
-
cherished with strong or unreasoning feeling.
to nourish fond hopes of becoming president.
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Archaic. foolish or silly.
-
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
-
(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
-
noun
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the background of a design, as in lace
-
obsolete fund; stock
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
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.
See Examples For:
Cook some small pasta — I’m fond of cubetti here — and add frozen peas and carrots, cooking them just long enough to heat through.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
“I have such fond memories in this quintessential New York apartment with the exposed brick, tin ceilings and many original pre-war features.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
"I have such fond memories," Cameron told the BBC.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
The actor was in and out of colleges but studied acting and grew fond of Shakespeare, according to People.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
She swept them all into a fond embrace.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Cook two ox palates as in the last recipe, then take equal quantities of veal steak, sweetbread, calf's brains, equal quantities of mushrooms, fonds d'artichauds, and cocks' combs.
From The Cook's Decameron: a study in taste, containing over two hundred recipes for Italian dishes by Mrs. W. G. Waters
In the second place, he advised the book-lover to haunt the retreats of Libraires fripiers, et les vieux fonds et magasins.
From Books and Bookmen by Andrew Lang
The walk to Fécamp would be purely delightful if it were not for the fonds.
From The Galaxy Vol. 23, No. 1 by Various
The fonds, in a word, are very tiresome.
From The Galaxy Vol. 23, No. 1 by Various
In alienating the capital, they might stipulate à fonds perdu, as they thought best.
From Principles of Political Economy, Vol. II by Wilhelm Roscher
But an audience will feel far fonder of Ms. Monaghan and Mr. De Niro, and even Mr. Keaton, if not his deeply twisted character.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
If this was his goodbye, he couldn't have imagined a fonder one.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
Growing fonder and fonder of Maude, Harold shares with her that when he isn’t attending funerals for fun, he likes to go to demolition sites and scrap yards.
From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2026
You can sit this one out, and see if absence makes the sisters grow fonder of each other.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 27, 2025
His voice softens when he talks about her—he is no longer the toughened leader of this compound, but an old man, reflecting on some fonder past.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Some of Debbie Israel’s fondest memories as a young girl are the times she spent with her father at synagogue praying on the Sabbath.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
As I look back on my fondest memories savoring raita, I’m reminded less of its nutritional benefits and more of its taste.
From Salon ● Mar. 28, 2026
In your fondest dreams, what would you do if you could join the animals?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
"It was a council-run site, so a lot of my youth was here, and I've got nothing but the fondest memories of Skegness."
From BBC ● May 25, 2025
Walter and Albertina were very close to Evelyn, and their fondest wish was for us to stay together.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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