fond

1 of 3

adjective

1
: foolish, silly
fond pride
2
a
: prizing highly : desirous
used with of
fond of praise
b
: having an affection or liking
used with of
fond of music
fond of his nephew
3
a
: foolishly tender : indulgent sense 1
a fond mother
b
: affectionate, loving
absence makes the heart grow fonder
a fond embrace
4
: cherished with great affection : doted on
our fondest hopes
has fond memories of their time together

fond

2 of 3

verb

fonded; fonding; fonds

intransitive verb

obsolete
: to lavish affection : dote

fond

3 of 3

noun

plural fonds ˈfōⁿ(z) How to pronounce fond (audio)
1
2
: small particles of browned food and especially meat that adhere to the bottom of a cooking pan and are used especially in making sauces
After searing the steak, we noted the amount of fond (the residue of browned meat that sticks to the pan), which can be deglazed for a rich, flavorful pan sauce.Garth Clingingsmith
3
obsolete : fund

Examples of fond in a Sentence

Adjective She still has fond feelings for him. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. He wished them a fond farewell. the fond hope that the situation would change
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
While all the options leave you with fond memories, quite a few of our top picks come with physical momentos to commemorate your vacation. Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Oct. 2024 Here, revisit other fond memories of the late singer from his 1D days. Sara Belcher, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
Congress should fond how to help American business owners. Baltimore Sun Media, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fond 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fond.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Verb

Middle English fonned, fond, from fonne fool

Noun

borrowed from French, going back to Old French funt, font "bottom, base" — more at fund entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fond was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near fond

Cite this Entry

“Fond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fond. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

fond

adjective
ˈfänd
1
: having a liking or love
fond of music
2
: loving, affectionate
a fond farewell
3
: cherished with great affection
their fondest hopes
fondly
ˈfän-(d)lē
adverb
fondness
ˈfän(d)-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fond

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