fondness

[ fond-nis ]

/ ˈfɒnd nɪs /

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.

Nearby words

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

SYNONYMS FOR fondness

Related formsself-fond·ness, noun

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

late 14c., from fond + -ness.