gourmet

American  

[goor-mey, goor-mey] / gʊərˈmeɪ, ˈgʊər meɪ /

noun

• gourmets
  plural

1. a connoisseur of fine food and drink; epicure.

   Synonyms:

   bon vivant, gastronome

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adjective

1. of or characteristic of a gourmet, especially in involving or purporting to involve high-quality or exotic ingredients and skilled preparation.

   gourmet meals; gourmet cooking.

2. elaborately equipped for the preparation of fancy, specialized, or exotic meals.

   a gourmet kitchen.

gourmet British  

/ ɡurmɛ, ˈɡʊəmeɪ /

noun

1. a person who cultivates a discriminating palate for the enjoyment of good food and drink

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gourmets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gourmet

1810–20; < French; Old French gromet, grommes valet (especially of a wine merchant)

Explanation

That guy over there correctly identifying the dozen spices used in the meal he's eating? He’s likely a gourmet, someone who knows a lot about fine food. There are gourmets and then there are foodies. Both are food enthusiasts who live to eat. A gourmet, pronounced like the French word that is its double: "gor-MAY," is more likely to go for the most refined dining experience, created by a chef who trained in Europe. A foodie, on the other hand, might take you to the best burrito place — because their guacamole tastes the best — then stop by the farmers' market to see if the first of the asparagus crop has arrived.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gourmet gourmets

Moreover, he’s a chess-playing, gourmet cooking, crime fiction aficionado and jazz lover equally comfortable on the mean streets of East Daygo and in the lush life of La Jolla Farms estates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

As Mr. Ogilvy writes, “now the abalone live in hatcheries, the sardines in tanks, the tuna in the fish holds of charter boats and gourmet custom cans.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

In May 2017 he spent £84.95 on five packs of gourmet beans and £123.91 on five packs of roasted beans.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

Inside, they found lavish surroundings, wedding-banquet style spreads of biryani, kebabs and gulab jamun, along with gourmet coffee blended from Brazilian and Ethiopian beans.

From Barron's ● Apr. 11, 2026

“You’re like a gourmet cook,” says Lara when she sits down.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon

The floating ships in the fantasy role-playing game Honkai: Star Rail are populated with traders, gourmets and literati who surf their texts on jade abacuses.

From New York Times ● Oct. 22, 2023

In Brussels, the epicenter of the EU, restaurant owners have imagined how a future without gas and electricity would look like for gourmets.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 30, 2022

Fisher, the formerly handsome Limited Editions Club volume was swarming with tiny gourmets fond of high-quality paper and tasteful illustrations.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 30, 2020

Health-conscious gourmets combing the new cookbooks might add “The First Mess: Vibrant Plant-based Recipes to Eat Well Through the Seasons” to their shelves, along with “Naturally Nourished” or “Blissful Basil.”

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2017

We understood the despair of Parisian gourmets and cooks, and we confirmed the verdict, provisionally announced at breakfast, that the sterlet is the king of all fish.

From Russian Rambles by Isabel Florence Hapgood