bon vivant

noun

bon vi·​vant ˌbän-vē-ˈvänt  ˌbōⁿ-vē-ˈväⁿ 

plural bons vivants ˌbän-vē-ˈvänt  ˌbän-vē-ˈvän(t)s  ˌbōⁿ-vē-ˈväⁿ(z)  or bon vivants ˌbän-vē-ˈvänt  ˌbän-vē-ˈvän(t)s  ˌbōⁿ-vē-ˈväⁿ(z) 

: a sociable person who has cultivated and refined tastes especially with respect to food and drink

… eating and drinking and generally plunging himself into the life of a bon vivant …

—Raymond Sokolov

Did you know?

Do you consider yourself a bon vivant? If you’re not sure, perhaps a peek into the word’s origin will help. In French, the phrase literally means “good liver.” Fear not if you are among those who are underinformed about the state of their liver. The “liver” here is not the bodily organ, but one who lives; a bon vivant is one who lives well. English speakers have used bon vivant since the late 17th century to refer specifically to those who subscribe to a particular kind of good living—one that involves lots of social engagements and the enjoyment of fancy food and drink. This puts the term very much in the company of some other French words. Gourmet, gourmand, and gastronome all refer to those who love a fancy meal (though gourmand often carries the connotation of a tendency to overindulge). Bon appétit!

Synonyms of bon vivant

• gourmet
• savorer
• epicurean
• epicure
• gastronome

Examples of bon vivant in a Sentence

In addition to being a renowned travel writer, he was a bon vivant who loves to hold dinner parties and serve exquisite, elaborate meals.

Recent Examples on the Web

The restaurant also serves a handful of low-ABV cocktails ($14-$17) like the bon vivant, made with shochu, dry vermouth, oleo saccharum, Pescadero sea salt and bay laurel oil; or the low tide, featuring an aloe aperitif, cucumber-parsley cordial and tonic. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025

The sunny, bubbly bon vivant is staying upbeat, and looking at the positives, per usual. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2025

Talley, a brilliant bon vivant and the first Black man to serve as creative director of Vogue, was a kind of caped crusader for high fashion (quite literally; his cape collection was legendary). —Jane Bua, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025

Graham was a hedge-fund manager, Columbia University professor, mentor to Warren Buffett, author and bon vivant. —John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, good liver

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bon vivant

• grievant

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