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aficionado

aficionado

27 7.7
A person who really likes and knows a lot about a subject or activity
  • noun
  • /ˌæfɪʃəˈnɑːdoʊ/
translation icon : aficionado
  • He is an aficionado of jazz music and frequently attends live performances in the city.
  • flamenco aficionados
  • jazz aficionados
  • art aficionados

And now how are we, as Pop Tart aficionados, supposed to react?

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Examples

  • Young Laurence informs me that you are an aficionado of the theater, Miss March.

  • However, my master is an aficionado of the bullfight.

  • Being something of a car aficionado, I had been waiting for this day for months.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Hey there, yourself, uh, fellow facial hair aficionado.

  • Are you an aficionado of Benjamin Pierce?

  • If you aren't an aficionado of this style, this book will help you.

    Academic text (2012)
  • We must all become cricket aficionados.

  • However, in the United States, most of the duo's success remained among blues aficionados.

    Academic text (2014)
  • I went with two people who are true magic aficionados and they know all of the card tricks and they couldn't figure this out.

  • Milkweed was brought to Hawaii by an aficionado of monarch butterflies, which rely on milkweed as a host plant.

    Academic text (2000)

Synonyms

enthusiast
vsaficionado
81 3.4

A person who is very interested and excited about a hobby or subject

stresses having both enthusiasm and notable knowledge about a topic
buff
vsaficionado
  • Informal
45 6.1

A person who is very interested in and knows a lot about a subject

is the general idea of enthusiastic and knowledgeable interest
addict
vsaficionado
  • Informal
37 4.7

A person who likes an activity very much and spends a lot of time doing it

means strong enthusiasm plus substantial knowledge without the addiction sense
connoisseur
vsaficionado
27 8.6

A person who knows a lot about good food, art, or other things people enjoy

emphasizes both enthusiasm and general knowledge rather than specialized taste
devotee
vsaficionado
25 6.0

A person who strongly likes and follows someone or something

combines admiration with informed knowledge rather than only devotion
fancier
vsaficionado
15 7.4

A person who loves and cares for a specific animal or thing as a hobby

implies deeper knowledge and broader enthusiasm than a hobby focus
aficionada
vsaficionado
8.0

A woman who loves and knows a lot about a hobby or subject, like music

is the same idea but not limited to one gender
hardcore enthusiast
vsaficionado
  • Informal
6.3

A person who loves an activity very much and spends a lot of time on it

includes dedication but adds a strong knowledge component as well

How Passionate

fanatic
8 4.3
devotee
25 6.0
aficionado
27 7.7
enthusiast
81 3.4
fan
1.0

Surface Forms

aficionado singular
aficionados plural

Etymology

The word aficionado comes from Spanish afición, which means 'fondness' or 'love' for something, so an aficionado is someone who really likes and knows a subject. A helpful way to remember it is to think of the English word affection or a 'fan'—that's why an aficionado is a very excited person who knows a lot about a topic.