top definitions
related content
examples
explore dictionary

fondness

[ fond-nis ]

/ ˈfɒnd nɪs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR fondness ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state or quality of being fond.

tenderness or affection.

doting affection.

a liking or weakness for something: He has a fondness for sweets.

Archaic. complacent credulity; foolishness.

Words nearby fondness

fond du lac, fonda, fondant, fondle, fondly, fondness, fondu, fondue, fondue bourguignonne, fone, fong

Origin of fondness

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at fond¹, -ness

SYNONYMS FOR fondness

4 predilection, partiality, preference.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR fondness ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM fondness

self-fond·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for fondness

He's watching it because of his fondness for Bergman and because, he says, “She'll be nervous about my opinion.”
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I have a fuzzy memory of fondness for the beach when I was young.
Why I Hate The Beach|P. J. O’Rourke|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That, plus the Moravian fondness for documenting everything, gives Salem its claim to the first-ever Fourth of July celebration.
The First Americans to Observe the 4th Were Moravian Pacifists|Linda C. Brinson|July 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rivera was dressed—thank heavens, given his fondness for naked selfies—in a summery tan suit.
Bill O’Reilly Disses His Fellow Fox Newsers|Lloyd Grove|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Alexander Iolas is described as a theatrical man with a fondness for fur coats and an extraordinary eye for talent.
Alexander Iolas: The Secret King of Surrealism|Justin Jones|March 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It may be that my fondness for these less obvious things in the law had rendered me a trifle different from my fellow men.
The Lady and the Pirate|Emerson Hough
There was always warm respect in Henrys fondness for him; and Henry was by no means the man to feel respect for a time-server.
Ten Tudor Statesmen|Arthur D. Innes
Father Underhill laughed and squeezed the little girl with a fondness she understood very well.
A Little Girl in Old New York|Amanda Millie Douglas
Besides, my heart will not be persuaded but that its fondness for you is nothing more than simple justice.
Jane Talbot|Charles Brockden Brown
She was a walking magazine of old English prejudices and superstitions;—to her he owes his fondness for ghost stories.
Homes and haunts of the most eminent British poets, Vol. II (of 2)|William Howitt

The
2019 WORD
OF THE YEAR is...