gourmet

1 of 2

noun

gour·​met ˈgu̇r-ˌmā How to pronounce gourmet (audio)
gu̇r-ˈmā
: a connoisseur of food and drink
broadly : connoisseur sense 2
a film gourmet

gourmet

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or being high quality, expensive, or specialty food typically requiring elaborate and expert preparation
a gourmet meal
gourmet cooking
a gourmet chef/restaurant
It offers guests tennis courts of red clay, pheasant hunting, a spa, gourmet dining and a wine cellar with more than 900 selections.Bruce Schoenfeld
also : equipped for the preparation of such food
a gourmet kitchen
Choose the Right Synonym for gourmet

epicure, gourmet, gourmand, gastronome mean one who takes pleasure in eating and drinking.

epicure implies fastidiousness and voluptuousness of taste.

gourmet implies being a connoisseur in food and drink and the discriminating enjoyment of them.

gourmand implies a hearty appetite for good food and drink, not without discernment, but with less than a gourmet's.

gastronome implies that one has studied extensively the history and rituals of haute cuisine.

Examples of gourmet in a Sentence

Noun food critics have to be gourmets in order to write about food in an informed way
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The downstairs, which has 34 countertop seats and 20 seats in the dining room, features ultra-gourmet fair, while the upstairs covered roof deck offers a more casual experience. Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 28 Dec. 2021 Two blocks west at the Euro Food Depot, a handful of customers wearing blue Qualcomm lanyards browsed the aisles of the small import market selling hard-to-find gourmet items from France like chestnut spread, pork rillettes and foie gras mousse. Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, 1 Mar. 2018 Drai's rooftop playhouse offers music lovers 30,000 square feet of slip-proof pool deck to get low on, plus luxury cabanas, day beds, two full-service bars, palm trees and a full-service gourmet cafe. Kat Bein, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2018 An Alaskan might forgo a latte to pay $5 for a single perfect Sumo mandarin orange, flown in by New Sagaya, the city’s largest gourmet market. Julia O’Malley, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2018 The restaurant offers made-from-scratch gourmet mac and cheese in 15 varieties, such as pizza mac and cheese, Philly cheesesteak mac and cheese and goat cheese mac and cheese. Megan Becka, cleveland.com, 20 Feb. 2018 In the main area, guests dined on meatballs, gourmet chicken wings and all manner of fruit. The Masked Observer, AL.com, 14 Feb. 2018 Free activities for kids, unlimited mimosas for $10 and live music, local produce, plants, exotic flowers, herbs, baked goods, gourmet foods, teas, coffee and specialty pet products at the Waterfront Commons in downtown West Palm Beach. Jennifer Jhon, South Florida Parenting, 14 Feb. 2018 Dean & Deluca, the Kansas gourmet chain with stores uptown and in SouthPark, expanded its selection of meat, seafood and produce last spring at its Phillips Place store. Katherine Peralta, charlotteobserver, 13 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gourmet.' 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

Noun

French, from Middle French, alteration of gromet boy servant, vintner's assistant, probably ultimately from Middle English grom groom

First Known Use

Noun

1820, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gourmet was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near gourmet

Cite this Entry

“Gourmet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gourmet. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gourmet

noun
gour·​met ˈgu̇(ə)r-ˌmā How to pronounce gourmet (audio)
gu̇r-ˈmā
: a person who can enjoy and appreciate fine eating and drinking

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