bon vivant
4
9.6
- noun
- /bɒn viːˈvɒ̃/
:
bon vivant
- As a true bon vivant, she savors exquisite wines and indulges in gourmet meals during her travels.
- bon vivant and sportsman
- world-class bon vivant
A meal by by Rousseau, but apparently he was quite the bon vivant.
- A meal by by Rousseau, but apparently he was quite the bon vivant.
Examples
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This season, legendary bon vivant Little Graydon embarks on a quest for laughter, romance and a hand to take him where he needs to go.
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Thomas, a physician, is also a writer and a bon vivant, a man of earthly appetites, but mostly a seeker of the truth.
Blog text (29) -
Annette is a bon vivant.
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Could this be the same out-of-control bon vivant who was too fond of taking the train to New York?
Fiction book (1991) -
Perlmutter was the classic gourmand and bon vivant.
Fiction book (1999) -
Both Tidhar and Husni were bon vivants.
Fiction book (1993) -
I'm a bon vivant!
Blog text (18) -
Billionaire, bon vivant, gallivanter, playboy, Gotham's most eligible bachelor, like, 90 years in a row.
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Bon vivant, raconteur, connoisseur of baubles, bangles, and beads.
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Tom Van Dyke, businessman, musician, bon vivant, and game-show champ (The Joker's Wild and Win Ben Stein's Money), knows lots of stuff, although not quite everything yet.
Blog text (7)
Synonyms
85
6.5
A person who likes and knows a lot about fine food and drink
14
5.9
A person who loves trying different foods and drinks
1
9.1
A person who enjoys fine food and drink
1
9.3
A person who likes very good food and drink and pays attention to taste
1
8.6
A person who enjoys very good food and drink
1
9.9
A person who lives for luxury and pleasures of the senses
A person who loves luxury and enjoys comfort and fine food
Antonyms
How Pleasure-Loving
Surface Forms
Morphology
bon + vivant
The literal French constituents ('bon' = good, 'vivant' = living) yield a clear sense of someone who lives well, so the general meaning is derivable from the parts. However, because this is a French loan phrase used idiomatically in English and carries a specific nuance of refined enjoyment (fine dining, luxury), it is not fully predictable for a B1 English learner who only knows the literal words, making it only partially transparent.
Etymology
Bon vivant comes from French words bon and vivant, meaning 'good' and 'living'. It gives the image of someone who loves fine food, wine, and comfort, so it means 'a person who enjoys good food, drink, and comfortable living'.