fondness
Americannoun
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the state or quality of being fond.
-
tenderness or affection.
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doting affection.
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a liking or weakness for something.
He has a fondness for sweets.
- Synonyms:
- preference, partiality, predilection
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Archaic. complacent credulity; foolishness.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fondness
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at fond 1, -ness
Explanation
Fondness is love or affection for someone. Your fondness for your funny Spanish teacher might be part of what inspires you to work hard in his class. When you have a fondness for a person, you feel warm or tender toward them. Your sister's fondness for young children probably makes her a great babysitter. You can also have a fondness for a thing: your friend's fondness for expensive shoes could cause her constant financial difficulty, and your fondness for cupcakes might influence you to learn how to bake.
Vocabulary lists containing fondness
Love Letter Words for Valentine's Day
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The River
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Novel Study: The Jungle Book, "The White Seal"–"Parade Song of the Camp Animals"
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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.
Cook’s fondness for his alma mater Auburn University, where he earned a degree in industrial engineering, periodically brings him back to campus for special events or football games.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
In contrast, his successor Andy Burnham, an English Literature graduate, has spoken of his fondness for poetry, in particular the works of Tony Harrison and Philip Larkin.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
“He’s completely not,” Jeanette Rubio said, revealing her husband’s fondness for Pop-Tarts.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
The author’s fondness for masculine attire and habits—she enjoyed smoking cigars—has never ceased to generate ticklish speculation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
I realize now that my feeling for Alice had been moving backward against the current of my learning, from worship, to love, to fondness, to a feeling of gratitude and responsibility.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
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.
