gourmand

American  

[goor-mahnd, goor-muhnd] / gʊərˈmɑnd, ˈgʊər mənd /

noun

1. a person who is fond of good eating, often indiscriminatingly and to excess.

2. a gourmet; epicure.

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gourmand British  

/ ɡurmɑ̃, ˈɡʊəmənd /

noun

1. a person devoted to eating and drinking, esp to excess

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Other Word Forms

• gourmandism noun

Etymology

Origin of gourmand

1400–50; late Middle English gourmaunt < Old French gormant a glutton

Explanation

A gourmand is someone obsessively and unhealthily devoted to eating good food and lots of it. In Monty Python's film "The Meaning of Life," there is a character who literally explodes after eating just one more mint after a big meal. Well, that in a nutshell is a gourmand. Gourmand is not to be confused with gourmet. A gourmet is a connoisseur of good food who enjoys eating but doesn't do so to excess. A gourmet might find himself full in his favorite restaurant, but he would never explode. Both words are from the Medieval French term gourmant, meaning "glutton."

Example Sentences

The gourmand trend “is at a peak,” said Natalia Lebedev, Native’s chief fragrance officer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

Ariana Grande’s “Sweet Like Candy” and iconic “Cloud” scents are known for their sugary, cotton candy-esque, gourmand profiles.

From Salon • Aug. 12, 2025

Courtney Wittich is on-the-clock fashion PR, off-the-clock sauna sommelier, bathing connoisseur and water gourmand.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2025

When Binoche’s character, Eugénie, asked whether she was his cook or his wife, Magimel’s gourmand was meant to say, “You are my cook,” to acknowledge her mastery.

From New York Times • Feb. 19, 2024

This, from a man who had a reputation for being quite the gourmand, was telling in and of itself.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman