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fondness

[fond-nis]

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SEE MORE 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.

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Wednesday Winner: Uxorious

Today’s Word of the Day was chosen by Iqbal SR of New Delhi, India because it was a rare word. Uxorious means “doting upon, foolishly fond of, or affectionately submissive toward one’s wife.” Submit your favorite word here and it could be chosen as one of our Word of the Day selections! What a fun word of the day. Thanks @dictionarycom pic.twitter.com/ggdcxSq0pR — Dabrielle Union (@anaya_papaya) November …

Famous Names That Inspired Common Words

Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.

RELATED WORDS

penchant, affection, tenderness, preference, predilection, devotion, susceptibility, love, weakness, fancy, partiality, attachment, kindness

Origin of fondness

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

Related formsself-fond·ness, noun

Synonyms for fondness

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR fondness ON THESAURUS.COM

4. predilection, partiality, preference.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fondness

Contemporary Examples of 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
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples of fondness

She had a fondness and admiration for this child and her audacity.
Life and Death of Harriett Frean
May Sinclair
I am fonder of you than any other man I know, but it is the fondness of long friendship.
Grace Harlowe's Return to Overton Campus
Jessie Graham Flower
For once, he had expressed that fondness in a primitive fashion, and he was glad.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
Sia looked steadily at the girl, and a fondness for her grew in his heart.
The Chinese Fairy Book
Various
And the Jews, when they left Egypt, looked back with fondness to these delicacies.
Storyology
Benjamin Taylor

Word Origin and History for fondness

n.

late 14c., from fond + -ness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper