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
-
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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The Suffix -ness, Part 2
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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.
"It was a privilege to be part of his journey, and he will be remembered with great fondness by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him."
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
He had a particular fondness for the 1990 vintage, the year Bigelow, his only child, was born.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Yet Trump has also shown an uncanny fondness for incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, saying that despite turbulent trade relations, he and the veteran leftist, both 80, have "excellent chemistry."
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
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
As I told you way back on another page, I was called “Fluff” because of my fondness for peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff sandwiches.
From "The Misfits" by James Howe
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
