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Synonyms

fondness

American  
[fond-nis] / ˈfɒnd nɪs /

noun

  1. the state or quality of being fond.

  2. tenderness or affection.

  3. doting affection.

  4. a liking or weakness for something.

    He has a fondness for sweets.
    Synonyms:
    preference, partiality, predilection

  5. Archaic. complacent credulity; foolishness.

Other Word Forms

  • self-fondness noun

Etymology

Origin of fondness

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; fond 1, -ness

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.

Inside the primary structure, visitors will find bright open spaces, elegant design details, and many communal living areas, ideal for those with a fondness for entertaining.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

They had no great fondness for the Islamic Republic regime - but they had reached an uneasy accommodation with it before this conflict began.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

While Mr. Mars has always been known for his fondness for retro textures, the new album takes this tendency to the extreme.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Even Tina Fey has joked about Fennell’s fondness for sudden depravity.

From Salon • Feb. 14, 2026

Nature seemed to me benign and good; I thought she loved me, outcast as I was; and I, who from man could anticipate only mistrust, rejection, insult, clung to her with filial fondness.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

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.